Influenced by techno music and synthesised with electropop artistry, HUGO KREIT is a handmade jewellery brand that offers wearable artworks for esoteric mentalities. The absurd and organic fluidity, playing surreal synchronous, the creative direction of Hugo holds outer space Interstellar aesthetics.

On the 7th of September 2021, Hugo launched his first collection called ‘Tears’, made with hard and soft polymers and liquid chrome. The collection was made in memory of the 23rd death anniversary of The Princess, Lady Diana. It consisted of 100 various ornaments, handcrafted with the techniques of manual sculpting, spraying, moulding and organic morphing for a natural adaptation of the material. In our latest interview, Hugo reveals how his academic background of industrial design with curiosity and inclination in jewelleries brought the brand to life.

When and how did you realise you wanted to start an accessories brand?

I have worked for the past 5 years in the Fashion Show industry as a set designer for Hèrmes and then Bureau Betak, where I was incharge of designing all the fashion shows and sets for Dior amongst other brands. I have always wanted to express myself on a different scale and I have been passionate about jewellery for years. I started to work on creating my first collection and the concept of my brand during the first lockdown of Paris, back in March 2020.

It is evident that alien art influences your aesthetic and designs. What invited you to take such direction?

The aesthetic of my brand is undeniably linked to my personal influences. I am a great fan of Sci-fi movies, Mathew Barney’s videos, Gaetano Pesce, Cesar, Anish Kapoor. I’m also very influenced by music and musicians' aesthetics such as Bjork, Arca, Sophie, Grimes and the young London Scene (Sega Bodega, Twigs & Shygirl). I listen to a lot of Barocco and Classical music as well but I am for sure a fan of Underground Electro and Pop music. Music is the most inspiring art form I know and has a very big impact on my work. Apart from music, I get inspiration from wildlife and deep-sea documentaries, «how it's made» YouTube videos. I am also very inspired by the « beauty » industry, nail and makeup artists.

Describe the character of your buyers. Who are they and how do they affect or perhaps influence your approach towards your works?

My jewellery speaks to people who don’t want to blend in. My customers are very open-minded and have bold personalities. They are not afraid of statement pieces. Since I started my brand 2 years ago, it is very important to me to represent the queer and trans community and have a very diverse cast. Finally, I am currently working on more affordable pieces cause my customers are young and I need to fit their budget.

What is the ideal atmosphere and ambience for a HUGO KREIT physical store? How would you like it to be? What visions do you hold for your avant-garde enterprise?

I don’t plan on opening a store at the moment but if I was I’d try to offer a total experience. I would want a space that looks like anything else but a store. I’d focus on the Smell and the Music which are the most important elements in a shop. They should be distinctive and not necessarily « nice » My favourite smells are GARAGE & PVC from Comme de Garçons and MMINK from Byredo. The floor material is also something capital and should be memorable (extremely thick carpet/ broken concrete or smelly linoleum). Then I would probably showcase some clothes for the customers to try my pieces with different looks. And finally, there should be a customisation station/service. This is something really dear to today’s customers. Everyone is different and should be able to choose something tailored.

What impact has the pandemic made on you and your work? What are your thoughts on the current ongoing global issues?

I never knew anything else but this situation. I launched amid covid and still trying to navigate in this difficult climate. The biggest difficulty is not being able to meet the Buyers, the stylists and the clients and doing everything online. It implies being ready to spend time on zoom and Instagram to explain the pieces, show the process, be very transparent about the product line, the weight of the pieces etc…

Considering the future to be a much more digitised environment, what do you believe it’ll be like for HUGO KREIT? Can you give us a little insight into your future projects and collaborations?

The future won’t only be digitised. A lot of people still go shopping in stores and a lot is still happening in real life :) We are launching the brand with a very special pop up store in a big French department store in Paris in March 2022. We are also currently working on a collaboration with a big Fashion House that we are looking forward to executing and revealing soon as well so, stay updated!