Samuel François shapes designs out of beeswax before casting them into avant-garde jewelry, reminiscent of Schiaparelli.
Samuel François has served as the fashion editor for Numéro magazine for over twenty years. However, his career began with a fashion design degree from Studio-Berçot in 1990s Paris. After co-creating the brand Avalon Vega and designing a few couture collections between 2007 and 2009 with his close friend, Daniel Fumaz, François took a decade-long hiatus from design, focusing instead on styling. Then, in 2017, he returned to the field with his own jewelry label, Samuel François Jewelry.
François began to re-explore design due to his “frustration” with his day job; editorial projects require restraint. He must adapt to the magazine’s branding while collaborating with photographers, models, fashion brands, and more. “I’m still working as a fashion editor. It allows me to pay the bills and be inspired by new people. In addition to [my] frustration, the violent shift of the fashion world due to Instagram and ever-present virtuality made me want to do something tangible.” When designing his original jewelry, he can focus on his vision, curing his “professional anxiety” through intricate craftsmanship. In his studio, he shapes designs out of beeswax before casting them into avant-garde jewelry.
François develops his artistic vision by “fantasizing about the past,” particularly “antiquity, medieval times, the renaissance, and the eighteenth century.” But his overarching inspiration comes from his love of Italy. François’ work draws upon the remnants of history in Naples museums and the Murano glass and waters of Venice, which share similar features to the glass beads featured in many of his designs. His love for antiquity stems from Fellini’s Satyricon, a 1969 Italian fantasy drama film representing a pinnacle moment in the visualization of antiquity. The film used gaudy colors, elaborate wigs, extravagant gold headpieces, and jewelry to depict an exaggerated, more colorful version of ancient history. François elaborates, “the patina of my pieces is quite antique. I like to work with mythological elements – olive tree leaves, acorns, and reference antique goddesses like Artemis and Cybele.”
His works often feature the human anatomy, whether it be eyes on a pendant, necklaces shaped as mouths, or baroque skulls. “I remember being extremely moved as a teenager by the images of Claude Lalanne’s Yves Saint Laurent pieces, mixing human parts, castings, and elements of nature,” he says. François was also influenced at an early age by art nouveau, which often centered around the reinterpretation of flowers and nature, and his countryside upbringing when he created wearable art from leaves, flowers, tree bark, moss, and snails. “I even adorned a cape with golden painted snail shells in high school,” he adds of his artistic roots.
François’ work heavily references surrealism: the designer reimagines and rearranges human body parts. His works are reminiscent of those of Schiapparelli, which has a surrealist heritage. François voices his admiration for the style, “surrealism has been a profound taste of mine. I only can say I am happy that it has become a trend and that I am part of it.”
As the rise of surrealism expands through art and fashion alike, Samuel Francois continues to grow and cultivate his one-of-a-kind designs. “Inspiration is key to my process. I let loose my feminine side in imagining a mostly female character living in strange times and produce pieces that could be hers or speak of her. I get obsessed with little things I have seen or heard and build a story around them. It can be a word, an image, a sculpture.”
Inside images by: Sofia Sanchez and Mauro Mongiello
Homepage image courtesy of Samuel François
