The Josephine tiara is named after Josephine, the Empress. The piece was inspired by the fabulous jewellery house Chaumet which, during the empire period, created ears of wheat out of diamonds.
“I make art pieces to wear, to look at and to marvel at.” Nathalie Seiller Dejean introduces straw to the world of jewellery, transforming the humble material into beautiful ornaments. Nathalie became fascinated with straw when she discovered old models of Swiss straw craft. Thanks to her keen interest and extensive research into this art – historically and technically – she has gained exceptional know-how. In creating her one-of-a-kind head and hair jewellery, Nathalie also relies on her solid artistic background. Indeed, a graduate of the Beaux-Arts in Paris, she initially worked as a press illustrator. Driven by her love of fine craftsmanship, she then devoted herself to the creation of unique accessories, which quickly introduced her to the fashion world.
Read the full interviewPhoto: ©Nathalie Seiller Dejean
The Josephine tiara is named after Josephine, the Empress. The piece was inspired by the fabulous jewellery house Chaumet which, during the empire period, created ears of wheat out of diamonds.
Photo: ©Nathalie Seiller Dejean
This tiara is part of the Seaside collection – straw starfish on a straw fishing net. Different strands of straw are plaited to create different kinds of starfish with tiny star-shaped straw sequins. This model is to be worn as a crown, flat or as a hairband.
Photo: ©Nathalie Seiller Dejean
This colourful straw tiara is part of the Jardin Français collection, which features straw in colourful pieces. It follows a natural straw collection called The English Garden. “The nod to this piece is that Marie Antoinette’s garden at Versailles, Le petit Trianon, was in fact an English garden. The colour reference is rhubarb, shades of pink and acid green: a French garden deliciously English with wild roses, flowers and raspberries, as well as natural straw.”
Photo: ©Nathalie Seiller Dejean
This tiara is made of lace and buttercups straw, and features tiny engraved boxwood beads. “In our childhood we had a game that consisted in putting a buttercup under the chin of our friends and, as it reflected deeply on their skin we would shout “t’aimes le beurre! » (You love butter!). I had to turn this fantastic memory of holidays in the mountain fields into a story with straw: from this humble material, create a world of wonder enfolding dreams and imagination close to childhood and its simplicity.”
Photo: ©Nathalie Seiller Dejean
The Slow Garden tiara is a statement piece. This tiara is made using a combination of straw techniques – knitting, marquetry, pleating – and features wildflowers with two symbols of sustainability: a bee and a snail, which became a symbol of the slow movement.