Barbara Bui X Aurélie Bidermann
To mark its twentieth anniversary, Aurélie Bidermann has teamed up with designer Barbara Bui to create a short collection of three couture jewels. Under the emblem of the snake, this capsule, called Ekkaï, will be on sale from 12 November. We take a look back at the origins of this project with Barbara Bui. Isabelle Cerboneschi
In 2004, a new name appeared in the world of costume jewellery: Aurélie Bidermann. Her creations, made from affordable materials, quickly became must-haves to be snapped up in the legendary Parisian concept store Colette.
In 2016, the brand was acquired by Jean-Paul Bize, Chairman of AMS and owner of jeweller Poiray. Aurélie Bidermann continued to create the jewellery that bore her name for a few years before taking other creative paths.
Last October, to celebrate its 20th anniversary, Maison Aurélie Bidermann presented the fruit of a collaboration with designer Barbara Bui. This short, powerful and irreverent line, in the image of the designer, consists of a cuff bracelet, a sautoir and 18-carat gold-plated earrings. Highly desirable, it is placed under the sign of the snake and is called Ekkaï.
INTERVIEW
How did the idea for this collaboration come about?
Barbara Bui : A friend of mine thought we could get on very well with Maison Aurélie Bidermann. I designed silver jewellery in the 2000s: a line called Atamé, which was already under the sign of the snake. I like Aurélie Bidermann jewellery. Their style is quite different from mine: it’s more feminine, whereas I like bold pieces. This collaboration brought two points of view together. I like the way the brand treats the material, with the patinated gold plating that gives an impression of history. I find the contrast between this gold-coloured jewellery, which is quite couture, and my masculine/feminine style interesting.
Do you see this jewellery as an embellishment, a fashion accessory, a way of expressing a part of oneself?
It’s still an embellishment. I like to present jackets on models with hardly anything underneath and the idea of a long necklace that curls up in the middle of the décolleté came to me straight away. I also love the snake ear cuffs, which have both a rock and a couture feel. They snake along the ear and the fact that they’re gold-coloured goes well with my irreverent clothes. We wanted to create a cuff to finish off this short collection. This collaboration came at just the right time: I was looking to accessorise my clothes, but I couldn’t find what I was looking for on the market. Together with Maison Aurélie Bidermann, we were able to create what I wanted.
Why did you choose the name Ekkaï?
Because we imagined it around the symbol of the snake and that sounded good. What’s more, in China we’re about to enter the Year of the Snake.
What does this symbol mean to you?
Quand j’ai lancé ma ligne Atame en 2000, j’avais dit que le symbole du serpent était attirant et venimeux. Je joue avec les codes de la séduction, mais avec humour. Il y a un esprit rebelle, rock derrière ce symbole. On ressent de la force, de la sensualité dans cette collection capsule. Elle représente beaucoup de choses.
The bracelet reminds me of the Ouroboros, the snake that bites its own tail, a symbol of eternity. I wondered if this collection could be read in the light of this symbol of impermanence?
I had not considered it, but I find it interesting. It’s true that these jewels bring strength. A cuff bracelet is always a symbol of strength, like a power given to women. In fact, when I create the portfolios for my fashion collections, I show powerful women with a calm assurance. They’re not warriors, but this notion of empowerment is behind all my creations.
Your clothes have always been about a powerful woman who expresses both her sensuality and her strength, and these jewels are also about the same thing.
I’ve been working for a long time on this notion of sensuality and strength, and even sensitivity and strength. Being sensitive doesn’t mean being weak; it’s another form of power. We might have thought that we didn’t need it any more, that women’s rights had been established, but we’ve come to realise, since the scandals that have broken out in recent years, that there are still environments and professions where women have been put at risk and have not been respected. So it takes a lot of strength to assert yourself and be respected. And also to please, to seduce as we wish and not in response to what is expected of us. Seduction that is chosen, not imposed, and that is consistent with yourself.
What role do these jewels play?
As a talisman: in the strength they exude, they can be seen as protective.
Ekkaï jewels will be available in Aurélie Bidermann’s boutiques, in Barbara Bui’s boutique at 50 avenue Montaigne in Paris and online: Aurélie Bidermann & Barbara Bui.
