Delphine Cordie, “Utopia”

The Belgian designer Delphine Cordie came up with the concept of “wall jewels” in 2020, after leaving her brand in fashion jewelry. Motivated by the urge to abandon the fast rhythm of fashion trends and the commercial domination of the industry, the designer took a step further into the world of jewelry. In this new direction, Cordie had no doubt in what she was looking for: a combination of curiosity and absolute timeless. The result is “Utopia”: a collection of jewelry-inspired wall objects. 15 unique pieces that are the materialization of building a bridge between Cordie’s two passions: jewelry design and interior design. 

As she describes it, her inner curiosity inspired her to discover new techniques, new materials, new proportions, and “the bridge to architecture and interior design seemed like the perfect answer, because it was a personal passion since many years, and it gave me the possibility to use skills and materials that had always inspired me, but were impossible to apply for classic jewelry”. Made of natural materials such as stone, wood, leather, brass and cords, the pieces express strength through their shape, but also elegance through the precise handwork.

Every single one of the wall jewels is meticulously polished, sculpted, finished and assembled by the Belgian designer, and the result is the representation of the search for balance, whilst always including femininity. Every aspect of the final design, the form, the material and the color, are deeply inspired by Delphine’s personality, which is so enrooted in femininity, and balance at the core of her design approach which, at the same time, is so inspired by the various artistic disciplines that she is passionate for.

The wall jewels are, therefore, an expression of balance and femininity, two concepts that can be interpreted and understood in many different perspectives but that, in all of them, there’s a correlation. In Delphine’s understanding, femininity is linked to balance in the sense that feeling complete as a happy woman is finding the right balance between being a mother, being a professional and being a woman. Unfortunately, there is no proven formula to achieve this ideal, but the designer is close to it: “the right formula for balance, I believe, is something unique to discover for yourself, and can be hidden in small gestures”.

For Delphine, balance is the feeling she experiences at the end of a day, whether it is after feeling productive after work, spending time with her kids, or after having a good conversation with a friend. “This feeling of balance is similar to when I finish a sculpture: when all elements and materials blend into one and seem to be in the right place”, she describes. In her pieces, she balances symmetry with curiosity, and represents femininity through the soft and organic shapes. These “are an expression of myself as a woman, keeping the elegance and strength in mind that I always saw in the personalities of my two grandmothers and my mother”.

Femininity is also present in Cordie’s wall jewels through the vindication of beauty standards. With jewelry being so personal, and so linked to a woman’s face and body, the wall jewels are also an ironic portrayal of this. “The typical feedback I often heard from a customer while choosing a jewel was ‘Maybe these earrings are too long for my face? Or too short for my neck? Too heavy for my ears! Too big with my hair!’”, she continues, “With my wall sculptures, I somehow express the irony of this feedback, as they are ‘too long, too heavy, too big’ to wear”.

This is the reason why “Utopia” is the main concept of this collection: a wink to the perfect jewel to match one’s face and body but, at the same time, to the idea that any dream or goal you admire to achieve, that seems impossible, can become a reality. As long as you look at it in the right way, with a curious and positive perspective. Positivity is, in fact, one of Delphine’s essential pillars.

Femininity and balance are present in every wall jewel, and so are playfulness and optimism. These last two play an important role in her creative process and life in general: playfulness (meaning sense of humor, laughter, joy) and optimism (to trust in yourself, to appreciate what you have in life, and to enjoy small things). “Every wall sculpture I create is the translation of this philosophy I try to live every day, not saying I succeed every day”. Rationality mixed with spontaneity, always keeping balance at the core by embracing personal growth and positivity, resulting in the most pure form of femininity.