When considering the jewellery for her latest runway show (taking place today, 9 February, at New York Fashion Week A/W 2025), there was one collaboration Ulla Johnson was interested in. After seeing the work of French artist Julie Hamisky at her recent New York show at Kasmin Gallery, Johnson was drawn to the works that translated flowers and natural symbols into precious, organic forms.
A shared appreciation for nature’s ephemeral beauty and a way with a curved silhouette meant a partnership between the two was a natural one. Twelve pieces, including a necklace, earrings, rings and a belt, debut at Johnson’s New York show, joining one of Hamisky’s sculptures, La Geante, which is installed in the space.
‘I have long admired the work of Claude Lalanne, Julie’s grandmother,’ says Johnson. ‘Kasmin Gallery invited me to Julie’s first New York show in the Fall; we have worked with the gallery a lot with previous artist collaborations – Alma Allen, Lee Krasner – and personally as a client. They know my taste quite well and knew my enthusiasm for Claude’s work, so invited me to Julie’s show. This was my first introduction and I was taken aback, both by [her work's] beauty and – while we work in different disciplines – how closely our worlds are connected at their heart. The study of fine art, the gestures, prints and movement is often the starting point of my collections.’
The resulting pieces are cast in bronze and created using electroplating, for an emphasis of the delicacy of the subject matter. ‘Ulla and I have a common playground, challenging gravity through shapes and colours,’ Hamisky explains. ‘Those pieces are inspired by a same love for flora.’
‘Julie’s work perfectly captures the ephemerality of nature, the fleeting beauty of a flower in bloom, preserved forever, to be adored and admired for generations,’ adds Johnson. ‘While we work in different mediums, the ways in which we create are very aligned. The collection is a celebration of nature, beauty and the beautiful permanence that can come of life’s fragility.’
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