Lois Hill is no stranger to the fashion industry. She has been designing her jewelry line for over ten years. But, when you look at her intricate designs you get the distinct feeling that it's been a lot longer - possible 1000's of year. That is because Lois uses techniques not seen or practiced in many decades to craft her amazing silver jewelry.
Lois started out as a belt maker and was happy to be the woman with a great belt collection until one fateful day when a very wise gentleman told her she needed to turn her belt weaving talent into a pair of earrings; and I for one am very happy she heeded that advice! Over the years Lois Hill's team has grown from a small group of seven artisans to over 500 - most (if not all) of whom have been trained by Lois herself.
As you look through the large array of designs you notice that there are common themes through out the collection. Namely her ability to combine contemporary designs with techniques that dates back to 3000 BC. Each piece is hand carved using sterling silver, tools, and methods unique to the designer. For her signature script designs she uses a combination of granulation and filigree. A technique inspired by ancient Scandinavian art work. Using glue from tiny red and black berries, Lois and her artisans place tiny silver ball of graduating sizes around the hand carved script which creates a 3-D effect. Another technique used by the designer is the ability of weaving silver so that it takes on an almost fabric like texture - it reminded me of chain-mail. Some of the procedures used to do the weaving are so intricate that the artisans can only weave one to two inches a day!
Lois has dedicated many years to travel and learning. She cleverly furnished her studio with great antique pieces collected from the many different countries she has visited and incorporated her jewelry collection around them, creating an unique experience of past and present; The result is a very organic, unpretentious and calming atmousphere.
My personal favorite was the wooden giraffe collection she brought back with her from Nairobi, along with the 1920's antique cameras. It was really wonderful to learn about the techniques that go into this incredible collection. I know there is only good things in store for Lois. It was a pleasure to spend time with such an incredible woman and exceptional designer.
