All images courtesy of Simone Wild
Cue Simone Wild, and her small but almighty Germany-based label specialising in sensuously soft velvet socks. You’ll be hurriedly hiding your fishnet collection in shame (and your boyfriend’s cringey Santa Cruz socks) once you lay eyes on these beauties.
Available in muted tones including soft rose, mustard and olive green, you can’t help but feel transported back to childhood days in your grandparent’s 70s-style lounge room. Simone Wild allows you to luxuriate in that special place where demureness and hedonism meet.
Tell us a bit about your background in design and fashion;
Everything started with a tailors’ education. After that I studied as a product developer in fashion and moved to Berlin for different jobs, from design to pattern making.
In 2010 I decided to return to Stuttgart and start working for the contemporary fashion store ave as Buyer and Deputy Store Manager. Due to my job I’m totally into fashion and always on a journey to find out what’s new and necessary for the upcoming season.
Where did the idea for velvet socks originally spring from?
Summer shoes always arrive in winter to the stores, but if I buy something I immediately have to wear it and that’s the reason I love to wear socks with mules, pumps and sandals. Velvet is currently a big topic in fashion; I was searching to find socks made of velvet but I couldn’t find any, so I decided to make a pair for myself. I was wearing them and everyone I met loved them and asked if I could make some for them too - that was the beginning of the project.
We recently saw your socks on the runways in South Korea; can you tell us about that opportunity and what it was like working with other showcasing designers?
That was a really spontaneous cooperation; Kiok contacted me on Instagram because my tictail shop was sold out. They told me that they would love to combine [the socks] with their collection for fashion week in Seoul and if there was an opportunity to receive them ASAP. I was on holiday at the time and the show was one week later, but I thought it could be a great opportunity and I liked the style of Kiok. So, when I came back I started to sew and produced the whole order in one night to send express to Seoul. The socks arrived just in time on the day of the show. The collaboration was really nice and uncomplicated it was a pleasure that my socks had their first big performance in South Korea.
What advice would you have for young creatives looking to turn their work into business ventures like your own?
Go for it - but do it within your own possibilities and as you feel good about it. The first 700 pairs of velvet socks I sewed myself and I still made my full time job. Only when it started to run, I decided to make bigger steps.
What's next for you?
Currently I have no idea what the future will give me - but for the moment I have to organize my production and start working with shops all over the globe. This will be a lot of work but also much fun and new inspiration. In any case, my size range must increase because a lot of men are interested and I would love to expand the color palette.
Jewellery design grad Jo Tan has taken the internet by storm with her refreshing, tribal-influenced take on nose jewellery. I was lucky enough to chat with Jo about her label Joanne T. to find out more about the fascinating Central Saint Martins graduate and her intriguing debut collection.
Tell us a bit about your artistic background, where you’re currently based, and how you came to work with jewellery.
I graduated from Central Saint Martins, London last summer. Currently I am based in Malaysia. Since [I was] young, I have always been interested in objects that interact with the human body and I believe art and design are one of the ways that I could express myself without any restriction. During my year in Foundation studies, I was allowed to try out different design pathways. Jewellery design is among one of the subjects that I tried out and I found that I enjoy craftsmanship. Thus, I decided to pursue this field.
Your graduate collection’s title, “Not Your Average Beauty”, lends itself to ideas regarding identity and the value we place on beauty conventions - tell us about the thematic direction of your work, and what you most would want the public to take away from your work.
My works are concept driven and my design development uses a topical approach. My design revolves around the idea of "In jewellery I ensure dialogue". Using minimal and subtle design, I create visual impacts, conversation and interaction through or with jewellery.
Your nose cuffs have garnered considerable attention on the internet, and were covered by Vogue France. What was your design process like for these avant-garde pieces, and what motivated the idea behind your elaborate take on nose jewellery in particular?
While I was working on the collection, I was interested in the topic of beauty and plastic surgery. I notice that it is a huge trend, especially in Asia where I come from. This then made me start to research plastic surgery and experiment with different structures and shapes that could be placed on the face. The nose was chosen because it is one of the most common facial [features] for plastic surgery. Thus, the creation of nose pieces emerged.
How important has social media and an online presence been for you to establish your name in jewellery - or in wider terms, fashion?
Both social media and an online presence have really helped me in exposing my works to any possible audience out there, since information can be easily accessed and spread through the internet these days.
You incorporate classic stones, diamonds and pearls into your pieces. What was your process like in sourcing quality materials and elements to put together your creations?
When it came to sourcing materials and elements for the creations, I spent time in both research and talking/meeting people from the jewellery industry to gain information and knowledge. The opportunity to study in London and travelling around different parts of the world have also allowed me to gain relevant information and knowledge in material sourcing.
Tell us about where you see yourself moving forward from here - continuing jewellery, or maybe expanding into other areas?
Currently, I am working on developing my own brand and establishing a client base. I look forward to collaboration opportunities with people from a different design background. Jewellery would be the core in my design career, however, I am always open to any new opportunities.
Photographer: Zhonglin
Stylist: Yii
MUA: Alicia
Model: Andrea B