New Zealand jewellery label Flora Bird creates perfectly imperfect one-of-a-kind pieces
IMAGE VIA FLORA BIRD
WORDS BY BRONTE WINNEM
“It was the most free I’d felt as a designer, making do with things I’d scavenged from the street and under the house.”
When you buy something that has been laboured over with intention, passion and purpose, it’s immediately evident. If you’ve ever laid your eyes on a perfectly imperfect one-of-a-kind piece by New Zealand jeweller Flora Bird, you’ll know what I mean.
Born in her parent’s basement in the thick of the very first COVID lockdown, her eponymous label’s pieces fuse punk aesthetics with ethereal, feminine energy.
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What first began as a DIY project sold exclusively to her nearest and dearest is now a fully-fledged business that allows Flora to share her playful pieces with a wider audience.
From studying contemporary jewellery at Whitireia Polytechnic in Wellington to a stint in Germany at Munich Jewellery Week, she’s nurtured her brand into something that allows her, in her own words, “To turn my internal dreamscapes into wearable objects”. Below, she shares how personal her process of making jewellery is and the importance of experimenting and pushing yourself creatively.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion/jewellery background?
My name is Flora Magnolia Bird. I am a jeweller based in Tāmaki Makaurau, Aotearoa. Growing up, I was always interested in music and art and anything creative. I would make my own jewellery and clothes, screen printing or spray painting T-shirts in the backyard. I went through a phase of wearing drawing pins in my ears and a tea cosy as a hat when I was 13, so I’ve been very fashion-forward from a young age.
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When I started my degree in contemporary jewellery at Whitireia Polytechnic in Wellington, it was the first time I’d seriously thought about pursuing this as a career. After graduating, I worked as a gallery technician in jewellery spaces and applied art galleries.
I was also lucky enough to go over to Germany and work at Schmuck and the Munich Jewellery Week – the largest jewellery fair in Europe – where the presentations and discussions really pushed me creatively. We went into lockdown a couple of months later, and I used this time to experiment with new ideas and practices.
How did the label get started?
Being a jeweller, or any type of artist, can be a very solitary existence so you rely on your networks and friends for support and to bounce ideas off. I found that people were constantly reacting to what I was wearing and asking where they could buy my rings or a necklace. I would often leave parties having sold all of the rings off my fingers. This gave me the confidence to set up the label.
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I’ve always had that punk, DIY aesthetic, which comes through in my shows, presentation and packaging. The continual challenge for me is how to make it a sustainable business and reach more people. Jewellery is such a personal thing, and my aesthetic is very ‘more is more’ so I needed to find an audience who appreciates that.
How has the label evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the label now?
At first, it was a way for me to get through lockdown. I became fixated on chain making and would do it for hours, finding a lot of comfort and relaxation in watching the small links become intricate chains. Then, I started making things for my friends and loved how each piece was brought to life and given a new identity by the person wearing it.
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[I think] there is this collaged nature to my designs. I like to string together internal piercings, hooks and chains in an adaptable way that allows the wearer to bring their personal perspective to each piece. My practice is a way to turn my internal dreamscapes into wearable objects. For me, jewellery making is a personal process, so I leave remnants of sprues and my fingerprints visible in the final pieces – a sign of the hands that made them. No two pieces are the same!
Where did the name come from?
My birth name is Flora Magnolia Bird and I always knew I wanted to use a variation of the three names. Gucci has a perfume called Flora Magnolia so I went with Flora Bird. My designs can be quite heavy and rough but they also have ethereal elements, so I like the contrast between that and the hyper-pretty name.
How would you describe Flora Bird to someone who’s never seen it before?
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Unique, bold and playful.
What are you most proud of?
I like that I can look back and see the development of my work over the past three years. I feel like my skill level and confidence have grown a lot, so that’s something I’m proud of and I’m excited to see evolve further.
What do you wish you knew when you started?
You can make it happen with the most minimal equipment. After uni when I was first trying to set up a studio, I thought I needed all of this equipment and a flash desk to get started and it really stunted me as a maker. Then came the first 2020 lockdown; I’d just moved back into my parent’s house and didn’t have many options in terms of equipment.
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I grabbed the gas can from the BBQ and attached it to an old orca torch I had in the basement, and picked up bricks and bits of pumice from the beach to use as soldering blocks. It was the most free I’d felt as a designer, making do with things I’d scavenged from the street and under the house. I made my first collection during that time and grew a lot in my technical practice. I continue to use the same DIY mentality in my practice today.
Who’s most exciting in the Australian/New Zealand fashion scene right now?
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I really like it when different mediums cross. I’m a sucker for a good T-shirt, so I love what Jack Irvine does with their prints! Emma Jing is always very exciting, too. She has such a beautiful way of handling fabrics. Ramp Tramp Tramp Stamp is [also] great. [Their pieces are] super inclusive, and hot! [I love] Die Horny, JPalm and anything from the babes at Bizarre Bazaar. For jewellery, Bobby Corica, Bonus Prize and nothing beats Mutation! All of my punk fantasies come to life.
Go-to dinner party playlist?
X-Ray Spex and The Cramps are always my go-to! And of course my girl Vera Ellen.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Via my website or Instagram. You can also buy pieces through one of my lovely stockists, Monty’s or Bizarre Bazaar.
To check out Flora Bird’s latest drops, head here.
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