Say fine jewellery and what do you think of? Gold and diamonds? Sure. But fossilised mammoth and dinosaur bone? Really? Well, when they are as beautiful as these pieces, why not? Monique Péan has made such unusual materials her USP, and there’s no denying their beauty, but we couldn’t help but wonder about the hows and wheres of it all. Which is why, when her team came in to MATCHESFASHION.COM HQ last week to talk us through the SS14 collection, we were ready with the questions. Here’s what we learned:
1. The unique materials in Monique Péan’s jewellery such as mammoth bone and reclaimed diamonds, are ethically sourced from around the world. Plus, she is a firm supporter of the No Dirty Gold campaign
2. The jewellery designer’s ethos is to ‘give back as much as possible’: she has donated a portion of the brand’s proceeds to build clean-water wells in Malawi, Mozambique and Haiti, and through her sales last year, she is currently building more in Ethiopia and Nepal.
3. Each collection is based on one of her world expeditions (she goes to a different place every six months to get inspiration). Next stop: Antarctica.
One thing’s for sure: her designs are as awe-inspiring as her social conscience. Beautiful pieces we can feel good about wearing – what could be better?