Interview with the French designer of intimate jewellery

Interview with the French designer
of intimate jewellery

Pascal Turbil, journalist and columnist interviewed Sylvie Monthulé, erotic jewellery designer, to find out the reasons for her passion for body jewellery. Through her answers she reveals her history, her manufacturing secrets and what has inspired her for so many years!

 

What is your educational and professional background?

You could say that I was born with a pencil in my hand, drawing is part of my life. After obtaining my baccalaureate in literature, I prepared a degree in plastic arts and a BTS in advertising. I became an illustrator and layout artist to be able to combine illustration and text writing. I worked for a few years in an advertising agency, especially for fashion and beauty, and also in printing studios. I liked to see the process of creating a document from start to finish.

How did you get the idea to create erotic jewellery?

In my professional life, I joined a company as a graphic designer and layout artist, which marketed products for adults. I discovered that there was a lot of choice in piercing jewellery, but almost nothing in non-piercing body jewellery. I decided to take the plunge and create my very first jewellery! I dreamed of starting my own brand of body jewellery, truly sensual, elegant and high quality. I invested my small savings for the birth of these first jewels!

What body jewellery did you make first?

It was exclusively erotic jewellery for women. Sexy pendants and non-piercing breast and sex jewellery. I designed hundreds of pieces of body jewellery before selecting a few and having the models made for the manufacturing process… The choice was difficult and the journey was quite new for me with the discovery of the world of costume jewellery, the processes of making, moulding and manufacturing. It was very technical but also very exciting! On my website today, people can discover some of my recent erotic jewellery designs and imagine how the jewellery comes to life before it is made!

How did you make your intimate jewellery known to the public?

At the time, the internet did not exist! I contacted the quality erotic press and on receiving photos of the jewellery that a friend was making for me, they immediately offered me free articles in their magazines. The success of the jewellery with the readers was immediate, especially thanks to Union magazine, which has followed my evolution and the launch of new products for years!

How did people order your jewellery before the web?

People used to see advertisements in the trade press. On their request, I would send them my paper catalogue, and they would send me their orders by mail! At the beginning I only delivered to customers in France and then German and English magazines presented my work and I started to send intimate jewellery in Europe. I had no showroom or shop, mail order was my only tool.

How many different erotic jewels do you sell on your website today?

In 2021, there are about 600 intimate creations on offer in my online shop. Over the years, I have worked according to the wishes of my customers and I have dared to imagine jewellery that is increasingly sexy, increasingly sexual. Thong jewellery, clitoris jewellery and penetrating jewellery are the most popular. Non-piercing breast and sex jewellery, waist chains, penis jewellery also correspond to a real desire to wear a seductive jewel for selected moments. Sexy pendants, ankle chains, naughty earrings and bracelets are offered to complement and harmonise all the previous categories and the public also likes to find more classic naughty jewellery.

Is there a high demand for men’s intimate jewellery?

More and more. Penis and testicle jewellery now make up a large part of our orders, as does anal jewellery. Even though we still sell a lot more women’s jewellery, men’s erotic jewellery is becoming more liberal: couples make up a large percentage of our clientele and very often there is a purchase of a piece of jewellery for her and one for him. Great, because seduction is not only for women!

Do you wear your own designs?

Of course I do! And I do have my favourite jewellery. Some are almost part of my daily life, others are worn for private and chosen moments in my life as a woman. I also try on all the new intimate women’s jewellery when I create a collection. This is necessary to perfect the effect and aesthetics of the jewellery. We also send our “prototypes” of erotic novelties to some of our loyal customers for testing and it is always very interesting to hear their feelings and compliments but also their suggestions for improvement for a particular creation. In order to make body jewellery that is intended to be worn by everyone, my company listens to the remarks and comments. Sometimes it is necessary to accept to “delay” the launch of an erotic jewel because it did not seduce enough the people who tried it.

Why do you manufacture your erotic jewellery exclusively in France?

Only for the sake of quality and to be able to easily follow the steps of their manufacture. By proposing erotic jewellery made in France, I guarantee my customers hypoallergenic and nickel-free jewellery, made with noble materials and this is essential in the case of jewellery that will adorn the erogenous zones of the body in addition to being in permanent contact with the skin! You will find all the details on the steps of the French manufacture of erotic jewels by reading the page devoted to the quality of our jewels on my site.

What inspires you to create erotic jewellery?

A thousand things and I draw my inspiration from everywhere: the disturbing shape of a flower, the design of a shell, the beauty of a butterfly’s wings… Nature constantly inspires me and the mineral, floral and animal worlds are treasures to behold. I created the Arome sex thong inspired by the real flower, the Arum. The cobra jewellery was created simply by admiring the arch and strength of the Naja. I loved designing the butterfly jewellery thongs vertigo of the senses, trying to symbolize as best as possible the beauty and lightness of butterfly wings. World cultures and their celebrations are also doors that open to new creations: the Venetian celebrations led me to create the erotic Venetian pubic and nipple masks. In 2020, my new collection of erotic jewellery was inspired by Egyptian art and its symbols; the Goddess Isis jewellery thongs, the Hieroglyphic breast jewellery, the Scarab penis bracelets.  Finally, the female body and its voluptuousness have always inspired me! Its sensual curves, its mysteries, its secrets. A troubling and sexy jewel finds its place perfectly. The body is a wonderful case.

Are you always sure of the success of a new collection?

Never 100%. I know that very daring and very naughty jewellery will be successful (I am talking about penetrating or clitoral jewellery). As for the thong jewels, breast necklaces, penis jewels, their success will be determined by their new design, their originality and their aestheticism… Many factors come into play. The visitors of my website, when discovering a new collection, also feel the passion that drives my team and myself, and this is an argument for success! Imagining a new range of erotic jewellery every year and then presenting it on our site is a lot of work that we love to do.

Why a paper catalogue for your erotic jewellery?

It’s very important to us. Turning the pages of a catalogue of intimate jewellery has nothing to do with discovering the same jewellery on the internet, even if on the website the presentation is very sexy and elegant and detailed. The catalogue allows a more intimate relationship with the jewel, more sensual. You can browse through a catalogue at any time, alone or in pairs, almost anywhere. And then there is a carnal contact with the paper that cannot be compared to the vision of a screen. Everyone who places an order in our online shop receives a catalogue with their jewellery. I find that this adds to the quality of the jewellery, to our professionalism, to our brand. And then I can’t resist going back to my old job, because I do the visual layout and the texts of my catalogues. I know that a lot of people keep our catalogues, just for the fun of it, and that’s a nice reward for me and my colleagues.

If you had to define yourself in a few words?

Well, I would say that I am a simple woman, curious about everything. I like to read, learn and observe. I am surrounded by people I like and I feel fulfilled in my private life. I love my job and I think I have been doing it with passion for more than 25 years now. If I have been able to bring a bit of fantasy and love into people’s lives, thanks to my jewellery, then it is because I have succeeded in getting an important message across; sexuality and seduction are natural and part of our lives, so we might as well make them exciting and sparkling! And I still have a thousand jewels to imagine!

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