Bringing together an ivy league flavor with the classic touch of antique knick knacks under the modernity of London the creative duo behind Smith/Grey have been creating innovative jewellery that targets all hip facets of fashion. Birgit Marie Schmidt and Sofus Graae took the time to talk to Chasseur revealing us who wants to “get rid of the horses” along with other interesting facts.
Everyone has a back-story. What did you see in each other that sparked such a partnership?
We met some years ago and from very early on there was an interesting creative chemistry between us. Back then it was very natural for us to ‘pitch’ ideas or thoughts that we had come up with or discovered to each other. This collective curiosity for more was a big factor in us wanting to work together which led to establishing SMITH/GREY.
You are both from different cultural backgrounds. In what way, in your opinion, this translates into your jewellery?
Sofus: It is becoming more and more difficult to pinpoint exactly where each person’s cultural background kicks in but we do see when it happens. Birgit is from Vienna, Austria so she used to read Freud’s dream analysis and lots of Kafka which definitely influences her way of visualising her thoughts. I for myself am from Copenhagen, Denmark where the design culture is very apparent and clean, and society is very influenced by that.
What are your favourite materials to work with? Is there one you haven’t tried out yet but want to?
Birgit: At the moment we work with various metals used in jewellery making including bronze, silver and gold. We really like metal for its weight and feel, and for the fact there is something inherently precious about it. Up until now the concept has always been the starting point of a collection. We believe the idea behind a piece should drive the decision of choosing the right material and for the past collections this has always been metal.
Saying that we do have some materials in mind for future collections, such as precious stones and leather, which we would like to use one day to visualise our ideas.
Your collections usually come with a few short lines taken from a poem. Are these your inspiration points or parts of a greater story?
All the poems or short lines that accompany our collection are written by us as part of the collection’s greater story. Our ideas often derive from or are being informed by written content, which later down the line gives context to a piece which often cannot be communicated in any other way. It is important to us to expand on the narrative and to add an additional layer to a collection.
You have chosen the horse as the inspiration for your debut women’s collection, ‘I Can’t Seem To Get Rid Of The Horses’. What does it symbolize and why would one want to get rid of them?
Birgit: The pieces are a physical manifestations of surreal equestrian creatures, reminiscing early childhood fantasies made up playing underneath my grandmother’s kitchen table. The collection was formed by allowing myself to reconnect with my inner child, but through the eyes of an adult. I realised that I couldn’t stop making these small horses, that there was a repetition, a pattern. I used the idea of repetition in the pieces themselves to express the reoccurrence of the “obsession”. That’s why the horses merge from one into the other repeatedly.
Why I wanted to get rid of them? Probably to move on to a new obsession.
Ivy Noir, your men’s collection, was designed for those who do not always dress exactly by the book. Who are these men exactly and what do they represent?
Sofus: I created the Ivy Noir collection for myself to begin with. I was and still am very fascinated with the rigorous dressing ethics of some Ivy style followers. However I never felt I could or should be apart of it – which is why we dreamt up the idea of an ‘Off Campus League’. The collection is made for individuals who like to grab elements from more traditional styles but feel the need to infuse a more rugged and ‘untidy’ feel to it. The pieces are very much for men who can and will take charge of how they visually express themselves.
Your signet rings have a very distinctive scrapped up look that actually gives the idea of someone just getting off a fight. What was the idea behind the concept?
Sofus: The Ivy Noir collection which the signet ring belongs to was created under the latin motto “Socii Extra Muros” which translates to ‘Society outside the walls’ or in our meaning the ‘Off-Campus League’. All the jewellery pieces are based on classic style elements and we have added the scrapped up look to signal that the wearer is capable of taking matter into their own hands, figuratively speaking.
Is there a fine line between fashion and art when it comes to jewellery?
We believe that jewellery is part of something greater than just simply fashion. Jewellery is used by many people to visualize parts of their faceted personality and expressing such things can be an artform in itself.
What is next for SMITH/GREY?
We are currently working on two additional collections for men and women which is very exciting.