Photo: Francois Dischinger

Bijules ain’t your momma’s jewelry, unless your momma wears diamond fingernail rings and jeweled face veils. With pieces such as earrings made out of real human hair, necklaces with gun pendants worn as slings and lapel pins made from feathers, NYC based Jules Kim’s pieces have garnered attention from all over the world–including Dubai, Copenhagen and Moscow. We got a chance to chat with Kim, the founder of Bijules and of what some would call a subversive jewelry line with a cult-to-mainstream following (M.I.A., Katy Perry and Beyonce wear her highly-covetable wares) about bird skulls, jewelry meaning and her upcoming line for Urban Outfitters.

FMMH: Your pieces remind me of beautiful armor with some sharp edges. How do they protect and accentuate the wearer’s personality?

JK: The definition of armor was firstly to protect; therefore, if my pieces remind you of armor then you must feel safe. If there is safety then there must be no fear or risk, so hopefully the wearer is empowered to wear whatever bijules she/he sees fit. Comfort breeds tradition and I am honored that my work might be considered so for many people.

FMMH: What type of customer wears your ear tips?

JK: These wearers are those defy the comfort and the fashion standards current today. The gelfling ear tips are rebellious pieces!

FMMH: Where do you come up with the names of your various collections, such as “Scream and Spirit” and “Disarming Weaponry”?

JK: I came up with “Scream & Spirit” after a much needed Rolling Hill sojourn in Cali. I was with my good friend and fellow jewelry designer, Bliss Lau, at a spoken word performance and the collection’s name spoke to me… It is derived from the loudness and direct implication of the word “scream” and the subtle ephemeral meaning of “spirit”. The “Disarming Weaponry” collection’s name was inspired by the spirit of antiwar propaganda and the voice of intelligence and communication as a weapon.

FMMH: You use elements in your jewelry that are generally looked at as violent or dark, such as snakes, guns, and bird skulls. How do you find beauty in them and turn them into objects of beauty?

JK: The fact that they exist already is a standard practice for my work because I seek to push the accepted relevance of the icon’s repeated presence. How many times do we need to see a snake charm or bracelet or ring versus how many time will we see it as a “single finger fit, multi-finger look” ring?

FMMH: Your Shattered Dreams necklace from your “Childhood Nostalgia” collection has a story behind it. Why do you think it’s important to wear jewelry with meaning or significance?

JK: What we choose to wear is a direct reflection of who we are and what we have each lived through. I apply honesty to each piece and hopefully being this open will include others and their life experiences. We are all not so different.

Photo: Ruvan

FMMH: Tell us about your upcoming projects with Urban Outfitters. What can we expect to see?

JK: Le Bij, eco-friendly recycled plastic bar rings will launch in store worldwide with Urban Outfitters August 1st. BJ by Jules Kim will be also launched in early July online!

FMMH: Which celebrity were you most excited to see wear something from Bijules?

JK: I am proud to have Beyonce wear and support Bijules!

FMMH: What is your current favorite piece?

JK: I love my bar ring but I am also extremely partial to the original nail ring. The new Bijules “Haute” collection has six pieces that each will ultimately become fast favorites!! Watch for high concept and cheeky fashion!

FMMH: Where do you pick up inspiration on a daily basis?

JK: From everywhere and every word and every view…my eyes are unabashedly naïve to ownership of anything conceptual. I put things together with a little bit of this and a little bit of that…

Photo: Francois Dischinger