Viltier

LONG-TIME FRIENDS IRIS AND THOMAS SHARE THEIR LOVE FOR JEWELLERY AND ITS SAVOIR-FAIRE. AS ENVIRONMENT CONSCIOUS DESIGNERS, THEY CREATED RESPONSIBLE PIECES WITH A LOW ECOLOGICAL FOOTPRINT AND GUARANTEE THE QUALITY AND TRACEABILITY OF THE STONES AND MATERIALS THEY USE. DESIGNED IN A PARISIAN WORKSHOP, VILTIER’S JEWELLERY IS GRAPHIC, SENSITIVE AND INTERGENERATIONAL. VILTIER STANDS OUT BY CHOOSING STONES WITH A HIGH EXOTIC POTENTIAL (RAYON LINE) AND MAKES DIAMONDS DANCE IN A PLAYFUL WAY (CLIQUE LINE).

1. Could you describe the vision of the brand and your way of working together?
The world of Viltier is above all sunny and welcoming. It definitely pays homage to our Parisian heritage from which emerge several aesthetic trends that inspire us: from the Art-Deco movement, to the retro-chic vibe of the 90's and the groove of the 70's. With Viltier, we created a joyful, responsible and lively jewellery brand! Yellow is our color and we like to play around this warm color palette. Our communication is very transparent and we trully aim to be close to our customers.

We work in a natural and spontaneous way. The dynamic of our duo is very important and what makes Viltier so strong today. We are currently working on the second collection. We have two very different personalities that complement each other which makes this journey all the more interesting. We put our ideas and desires together for this new chapter and after talking and drawing, ideas start emerging from this creative process.

2. You have known each other for a long time, can you tell us how you met?
We are childhood friends. Our parents are close and we saw each other a lot when we were kids. We grew up separately, and lost sight for a while. Life naturally brought us back together, thanks to social media. I noticed that Thomas worked for a jewellery brand like me and I immediately reached out to him in order to reconnect over a coffee : that’s how the story started...

3. How was your collaboration born? 
Our collaboration arose out of our common passion. When we reconnected we first talked about our views of the jewellery industry and quickly realized that our tastes were similar, that we had complementary personalities and that we dreamed of something that did not exist. Not yet at least.

4. What are your sources of inspiration for this first collection and the history of the oval pattern of the "Magnetic" line?  
The Magnetic collection is Viltier's DNA. It is a pattern that recurred regularly in Iris's drawing archives. We immediately clicked on its strong graphic identity and 70's design accents. It was a beautiful allegory of our history and of our passion for jewellery: Two entities that are as if magnetized by diamonds.

5. Iris, in what context do you feel at best to create? 
I don't have an ideal context to create. I often tell myself that I have too much going on in my head to think of a new piece of jewellery and this is when a new idea comes up. People inspire me, details, in the street or in a magazine. It is these details that hit the nail on the head and set me off on a track.

6. What are your favorite hobbies?
Iris: I love walking around Paris, shopping, going to restaurants, going to exhibitions! Pre-covid life !

Thomas: I am a fan of nature, I like to escape out of Paris and be at quiet. When I am in town, I'm always up for a good restaurant with friends!

7. Which personality inspires you?
Iris: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for her determination and her courage. She represents this new generation of women whom I admire and wish to become.
All women around me inspire me every day, from my mother to Beyonce!
 
Thomas: I love Laverne Cox. She is strong, straightforward, and I admire her work for LGBT rights. I also have a soft spot for lady-di, her style and her casualness. As a child, Sharon Stone in Basic Instinct electrified me. 

8. What is your relationship to objects?
Iris: I love having a lot of little gris-gris and objects in my house. It has to be some sort of organized mess. I like to have lots of memories everywhere, photos, flowers, etc. I keep almost everything, maybe because I'm quite nostalgic.
 
Thomas: I have been a real nomad for 7 years and I move every year. I don’t own many things because it's easier to move around without luggage. I just allow myself to have flowers in my house… I am a huge fan of art and especially sculpture. I can't wait to settle down for good and start buying things that make me happy!

9. What do jewellery mean to you?
Iris: A piece of jewellery says a lot about the wearer. It is either a gift we give to ourselves, a gift from someone who loves us or a heirloom. From the color of gold, to the style of the jewel, the choice of the stones and the way you wear them, it is ultimately a huge mean of expression. 

Thomas: Jewellery can literally hypnotize me. Sometimes I feel like it has its own language. Jewellery is often brought to life through someone, but I imagine it the other way around, it is also the person who lives through jewellery. I don't put any particular meaning behind a piece, but when I look at a piece of jewellery that I like, time stops and I travel in my head.

10. Who are your favorite designers? 
Iris: Marie Hélène de Taillac, Fernando Jorge, Victoire de Castellane, Sophie Bille Brahe, Charlotte Chesnais

Thomas: Fernando Jorge, Boucheron, Taffin, Vhernier, Hemmerle, Shlumberger 

11. Do you have any favorite artists?
Iris: Luke Edward Hall, James Turell, David Hockney
 
Thomas: Hans Hartung, Farhelnissa Zeid, Henri Rousseau, Amoako Boafo, Jean Royere

12. What are your favorite destinations?
Iris: I love to travel. I have been to Morocco a lot, and it has been a great source of inspiration for me. I also really like traveling to Italy, you have the feeling of being on vacation as soon as you arrive there. Sunny destinations at the other end of the world also make me dream a lot like Brazil, I dream of going back there.
 
Thomas: Like Iris, I'm a big fan of Italy, it's simple, the good life! I love the USA, no matter what we can say I remain fascinated by their influence on us. I dream of going to Japan. 

13. Which books have marked you?
Iris: Pride and Prejudice, a classic! I read a lot of feminist books at the moment such as the new book by Lauren Bastide which I admire a lot, and Witches by Mona Chollet.
 
Thomas: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas by Jules Vernes. I am very intrigued by the ocean and its secrets and this is a novel that made me dream. I have a very aesthetic memory of this story. I would love to read it again when I have the chance ! 

14. What type of food do you particularly enjoy?
Iris: I prefer foreign to French cooking. I really like Asian and Italian food !
 
Thomas: I love Japanese food 

15. Chinese mini-portrait - if you were...
Iris: If I were a piece of jewellery: An engagement ring
A stone: Pink tourmaline
A flower: A peony
A dish: Pasta
A work of art: A flower by Georgia O’Keeffe
An author: Jane Austen
A country: Italy
An animal: A butterfly
A sport: Tennis

Thomas : If I was a jewel: A cocktail ring
A stone: A diamond
A flower: A dahlia
A dish: A grilled fish
A work of art: The prince and the pack - Amadeo de Souza-Cardoso
An author: Jules Verne
A country: France
An animal: A deer
A sport: Tennis