Portrait of petite # 16 - Michiyo DeruelThe

Hello Michiyo, could you please start by introducing yourself? 

My name is Michiyo, I'm Franco-Japanese, 45 years old and I have 2 boys aged 10 and 5. Jam a designer and created my jewelry brand Maison Mouche in June 2021. I'm 1.62m tall, a "grande petite".

Can you tell us about your background?

I studied interior architecture at the Arts Appliqués, worked in cartooning and audiovisual post-production on a freelance basis for 6 or 7 years, and then worked for a long time in a major haute-fantaisie jewelry house. I started out as a jewelry designer, by pure chance, because it wasn't what I was destined to do. I learned a lot, met a lot of different people, different professions, a huge structure that all worked together on the same project. Then I was put in charge of one of the design studios. There were 4 of us, and we created 150 models per season. I loved it. 

Finally, I moved to the in-house style office. There, in collaboration with the artistic director, I was in charge of defining the major themes of inspiration for each season, the color orientations, the concepts that we would propose to the designers to develop. It was also very creative.

Why did you choose to become an entrepreneur? 

It's a combination of circumstances. I left my job at a time when, like many people, I felt that I was no longer learning anything, that it was the end of a cycle. 

At first, I looked for work, but that proved difficult. I let myself go a bit, enjoyed my children, and realized that I didn't want to fall back into the patterns I'd known for over 12 years, that I wanted to listen to myself a bit more. Launching my own brand seemed like a great challenge, I had the time, a bit of money, I fought a bit against the imposture syndrome of course (ha ha), I had ideas for jewelry that I wanted to see realized. 

Can you tell us about your jewelry brand? Why did you choose the jewelry sector? 

The choice of the jewelry sector is again a combination of circumstances, well it's a strange path, I first came to it through acquaintances, and it turned out to be both architecture and storytelling, in other words what had come before in my life. 

As for Maison Mouche, I pursued jewelry because it's what I've been doing for the longest time in my life. For me, jewelry is a magnificent pretext for creating and transforming 2-dimensional graphic figures into architectural pieces on the scale of the body. It's like wearing drawings that have EDITd dimension. I love this idea. But deep down, I think I could create other things, on other supports.

Why Maison Mouche? What does it mean? 

Mouche is the nickname given to me by a very good friend. It's also a reference to the 17th and 18th century fly which, when cleverly placed on the face, reveals a detail of beauty. And I have to admit, it's a name that's both appealing and memorable, even rather unexpected for the jewelry world, since I'm quite fond of offbeat things.

What inspires you on a daily basis?

It's hard to explain, but many things are inspiring.

Architecture, of course, very structural and mathematical forms, the exactness of things. He was a structural steel engineer, and when he talked to me about the beauty of something, he spoke of bridges, arches, technical feats, strength and perfect mechanics. In any case, something breathtaking, in its form and in the effect it has on us. So, for me, beauty lies partly in these things too.

Certain aspects of Japan also inspire me a lot. The sobriety, the bareness, even the obliteration of things. I love the humility of volumes, materials and their treatment. In Japan, emptiness shapes space, shadow creates light. These are notions that I instinctively introduce into my work. 

But there are more diffuse things that inspire me too, music for example. It takes me far away, I feel atmospheres that put me in a "creative state". I see movements, shapes and styThe that go with the music, a bit like a music video. I'm a bit of a cinephile, I watch a lot of films. And the atmosphere, the color, the light of a film can inspire me beyond the creation of an object; I see the person, their character, what they're wearing, what they like.

It's all a bit like creating characters, characters to whom my creations are addressed, and who embody them in return. This no doubt explains why I give my creations somewhat "grandiose" names; I see them as the titThe of a film, the profound character of my character.

What makes you tick in your job?

The moment when I see that the design works from every angle, that everything is precise, accurate and well thought-out. Then the object takes shape. It's a form of revelation and vindication: this shape is right to exist.

Since I don't manufacture anything myself, the discovery of the 1st models is very exciting. There can be surprises, some good, some not so good, but it's a moment when I understand what I've drawn. And when it's time to rectify things, I love going back to the drawing, chasing the extra millimeters or accentuating an angle, to achieve balance in the shape. 

Then there's the effect the object has in other people's eyes. I don't know if people see the same thing I do, but I think they do, a little. They perceive that all the details have been thought through and are in the right place. For me, it's both embarrassing and exhilarating.

How do you see the future of jewelry?

It's hard to say. In terms of style and accessibility, jewelry has already begun to renew itself: it mixes codes and genres, tradition is still there, but the boundaries between design, architecture, arts and crafts, sculpture and goldsmithing have become permeable.

Its future also depends on the choices the industry makes regarding raw materials and their origins, the supervision and control of those who work in the sector, and the innovations that are overturning the jewellery tradition. 

As for one's relationship with one's jewelry, it will certainly always be the same, highly emotional, symbolic and social. But perhaps the ethical and responsible dimensions will end up contributing to the attachment one has for one's jewel. Jewelry is passed on, and we pass on values with it, after all. This is already the case for wedding jewelry. People want to seal their commitment with an object that is not "dubious", whose raw material is as pure and clean as their vows.

Ethics are at the heart of your approach (traced, certified metal...). It's clear that the values of eco-responsibility and environmental protection are close to your heart. What little things do you do on a daily basis to protect the planet? Can you share them with our petites ? 

I do my best. I've banned fast fashion, and I consume much Thes fashion, either second-hand or responsible.