Woman Particolare: Iris de la Villardière
At only 29 years old, Iris de la Villardière is the co-founder and creative director of the young, sunny and fashionable Parisian jewelry brand Viltier. We spoke with Iris about her jewelry career and inspiration.
Have you always been attracted to the world of jewelry?
Yes, I have. I have always liked to buy jewelry and wear it as a way to express myself. I felt that it gave me a kind of uniqueness, they could tell things about me and catch the eye. I discovered jewelry through working with Marie-Hélène de Taillac and her colorful universe, and in particular her yellow stones. Then I worked for Stone Paris, a more rock universe with its thin diamonds jewelry.
With your childhood friend Thomas Montier Leboucher you decided to create Viltier, a luxury and uninhibited jewelry brand. How would you define your universe?
Viltier is a very natural brand, for me it really expresses our two personalities. We wanted to create a very colorful, uninhibited, generous and fun brand! The idea was really for people to have fun and express themselves by wearing a Viltier piece. As a brand, we really wanted to focus on existing beyond the product and develop a strong universe that our customers could relate to.
The Viltier showroom, designed by Fanny Perrier is a Particolare space. What is your inspiration for your creations and the space where you showcase them?
Details and color are two things that we find in the showroom and in our collections. Yellow is at the heart of the showroom and is the emblematic color of Viltier. We loved working with Fanny Perrier and with all the artists who expressed themselves in the showroom. We can find details of the curves in our showroom, which is a detail also part of all our creations.
What does the Woman Particolare mean to you?
For me, the Woman Particolare is a woman who is dynamic and who needs a practical accessory without forgetting the importance of design. This is what I found in my Vitti Coulisse black bag which I have been wearing for more than a year. I like the fact that I can put everything in it. It has a classic and original shape at the same time. That's what I like in a daily bag.
If you had to choose one of your jewels to wear with your Object Particolare bag, which one would it be?
If I had to choose a jewel to wear with my Vitti bag it would be a Magnetic ring in onyx, which is the new stone we are working with. At the moment, I really like doing total black outfits with my bag: a large black coat, a pair of boots and my magnetic ring to complete!
As the French singer Alain Souchon would say, "Rive Gauche à Pa...” Parisian since always, what are the places of architecture that you like the most in this city of light?
I love the architecture of Paris in general, I always dream so much when I'm cycling on the “quais” or in small Parisian streets. I look up to see the ‘Hausmanniens’ building, I really like the Petit Palais and the Grand Palais, both Particolare and impressive monuments. Before Christmas, I visited the Hotel de la Marine which is completely crazy! They are old rooms overlooking the Place de la Concorde, a dream.