Hoodooloulou is the Sydney made-to-order jewellery label handmaking future heirlooms
WORDS BY MAGGIE ZHOU
Handmade keepsakes.
Creative Laura Campbell has loved making decorative bits since she first nabbed a beading kit from her local dollar store. Living and working on Darkinjung Country on the Central Coast of NSW, Laura has been making jewellery for almost a decade. According to her, her label Hoodooloulou (HDLL) came about “by necessity”.
Laura’s foray into the world of jewellery-making has been far from linear. After joining a lapidary club (that’s the practice of shaping stones, minerals or gemstones), she was accepted into a jewellery trade course. A few years on, she worked in a jewellery store “polishing mass-produced crap” which eventually led to her pursuing her own dream of creating art full-time.
For more style inspiration, head to our Fashion section.
From solely using upcycled and found materials (once even trading banana bread for some opals), Laura has grown her business into one she is proud of, creating future heirlooms for modern people. Read on to hear more about her label and the journey she’s on.
Tell us about you. What’s your fashion background?
Hello lovely lurkers. I’m Laura, your local jewellery slinger. You’ll usually find me at the anvil or hunched over a stash of gems like some kind of goblin. I enjoy creating one-of-a-kind investment pieces that change subtly over time, reflecting the life of the wearer.
View this post on Instagram
I got hooked on jewellery early in life thanks to those beading kits from the dollar store, and while that might not count as fashion background they definitely made a lasting impression. I went on to do three years at Design Centre Enmore doing jewellery design and manufacture.
How did the label get started? Talk us through the process and the challenges.
HDLL came about by necessity. I needed an apprenticeship to get into my trade course at Enmore but couldn’t find a jeweller to take me on. I went to so many interviews but nobody was hiring. So I faked it. I joined a local lapidary club, gained basic soldering and bench skills, and presented a portfolio of my work during an interview for the Design Centre and was one of three people in the year to be accepted into the course without an apprenticeship.
View this post on Instagram
I wouldn’t take the label seriously until several years later after I’d graduated and work[ed] full-time in a jewellery store/piercing studio. Polishing mass-produced crap every day really opened my eyes to how stale and lifeless the market was. During a lunch break, I thought, ‘Fuck it, I want to do art full time’ so I did. It was an absolute gamble, I had no savings and no business plan but nine years later I’m still making jewellery and every day I am grateful to be here.
What were you trying to achieve from the project at the time?
When I first started HDLL it was a lot of upcycling and using found objects because well, I was broke. Anything I could thrift or trade (I once traded homemade banana bread for a handful of opals). My designs really hinged on what I could get my hands on at the time, so I often had limited availability and once they were sold out they were gone forever.
View this post on Instagram
How has this evolved and what are you trying to communicate through the brand now?
I may not be making bangles out of knitting needles anymore but the values I learnt [from] upcycling and using what I had really stuck. I wanted to make jewellery [that] last[ed] – future heirlooms, pieces that would be around long after you’re dust – but I also want[ed to] be conscious of waste.
So everything I make is made to order, [which] means no mass production. I only make what I need when I need it using materials sourced as sustainably as possible. It’s a slower process [and the] turnaround for pieces can be a couple of weeks. There’s no instant gratification or quick buys here. What I do takes time and careful consideration which in the long run cultivates a community of wearers shopping mindfully and buying with purpose.
View this post on Instagram
How would you describe your brand to someone who’s never seen it before?
HDLL is jewellery for punks at heart. It’s one part fine jewellery mixed with a bit of occultism and crude humour that straddles the fence between masc and femme. It’s silver engraved ‘festy’ and pearls on locking carabiners, signets encrusted with Aussie sapphires and sword pendants sharp enough to take out the eyes of your enemies.
What do you wish you had known when you started?
The value of my work. Working for free is such an accepted part of the creative industry and doing jobs for ‘exposure’ is so normalised that I thought that’s what I had to do. My work was rough around the edges and wonky and I didn’t think I could charge people money for it. I wish I’d known then that all those tool marks I couldn’t buff out [and] all those wonky settings would become part of my signature style. That’s handmade baby, every piece [is] unique.
View this post on Instagram
Who is most exciting in the Australian and New Zealand fashion scene right now?
I’m a big believer in community over competition so I have a hit list of local jewellers for you – Sable Jewellery, Catholic Guilt, Metal Bender, Bonus Prize, Bleach Jewellery, Bobby Corica, Sacreflux, Midnight Kiss Jewellery, Mutation, Halo and Hurt, and Twin Flame Jewellery are all insanely talented artist producing amazing work keeping the jewellery scene fresh and exciting.
How can we buy one of your pieces?
Everything I do is made to order so there’s no waste. You can scroll through the designs on my webstore and pick a piece that speaks to you. All the designs are customisable so you can choose your size and metal preference, [and] add gemstones or engraving. All pieces have a turnaround of about four-to-six weeks. [It] ain’t call[ed] slow fashion for nothing.
To take a closer look at Hoodoloulou’s pieces, head here.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
