Odalisque Magazine Interviews Sophie Bille Brahe - Jardin de Rêve collection
Written by Jahwanna BerglundFine jewellery designer, Sophie Bille Brahe announces the exclusive Jardin de Rêve Collection, created for global fashion luxury destination Mytheresa. The collection is launched in October 2022 on www.mytheresa.com.
For the exclusive collection, Sophie Bille Brahe was inspired by “Stealing Beauty”, the sensual drama by Italian film director Bernardo Bertolucci. The movie conveys a romantic feeling that says more than meets the eye, there is something deeply mysterious about it. With Jardin de Rêve, Sophie was drawn to Italy, it’s the summer in the 90s, and she sees a young girl, a flower dress floating in the morning breeze, the touch of the wet, dewy grass on her bare feet.
Jardin de Rêve is the first collection that combines pearls and diamonds. The Danish designer went all on romance, playing with the volume and the gravity of the earrings. Bille Brahe immersed herself in an upside-down world, where the volume is at the bottom - a lapse in time to explore oneself; magical things await.
The collection encompasses six styles – and the Jardin de Rêve is the centre piece. The chandelier-style pair of earrings features smooth freshwater pearls combined with 1,29ct of round white diamonds. The exclusive capsule offers a new take on Sophie Bille Brahe’s iconic styles as well as refined originals.
J: Please tell us a bit more about the collection and the inspiration behind it.
S: Jardin de Rêve is an exclusive collection of 6 styles created for Mytheresa. I was deeply inspired by Stealing Beauty, a movie by Bertolucci set in Italy. Italy has always been a great source of inspiration for me, and this movie shows the best of it. It’s very romantic but also mysterious and sensual, it’s about finding oneself in the warm summer of Italy.
J: Do you have any personal connections to Italy?
S:I have family in Rome and a good friend who lives in Sicily. As far as I can recall, I’ve always visited Italy and enjoyed it. It gives me a felling like nowhere else in the world, the food, the landscapes, the culture. I always find inspiration there.
J: What has been the most challenging part in creating this collection and how was it to collaborate with Mytheresa?
S: Jardin de Rêve is my first collection featuring styles combining pearls and diamonds. I played a lot with the volume and the gravity for this collection and had to make sure it was harmonious in the end.
Mytheresa is a long-standing partner and it’s always such a pleasure to work with them. I have the freedom to be creative and unconventional, which is the best condition when you design jewellery.
J: The brand was founded in 2011 and has since then been seen on various style icons and celebrities like Lykke Li, Rihanna and Pernille Tiesbek to name a few. What have been some of your biggest milestones so far and what keeps you motivated?
S: When I see women with a pair of earrings or a necklace I designed, it’s the best reward there is and that’s what keeps me motivated.
For my SS23 collection, Magical Thinking, I’ve been lucky enough to work with actress and model Dree Hemingway, which has been a dream of mine for a very long time. I feel truly fortunate that my job brings me so much joy and challenges.
J: Who do you see wearing your pieces and what does jewellery mean to you?
S: I started making jewellery for myself and my friends, even before created my company. Today, I still find my inspiration in these people so dear to me and I think that the women wearing my designs are similar to them. They have an asserted style, they are very feminine and they’re looking for a different way of wearing fine jewellery with a little twist.
I want my jewellery to become a part of who you are. A pair of earrings or a ring can carry so much history, it’s often used to mark a significant moment in your life like a birth, a wedding or an anniversary and you can pass down these emotions for generations to come. I think it’s very unique.
photographer Josefine Seifert