PYLA | humble materials transformed into the unexpected

This time our search for talented up-and-coming brands led us to Rome’s trendy Monti district, where among many stylish shops you can find the Italian brand PYLA. Its founder Silvia Zoppellari told us a bit more about her approach to jewellery and about herself.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO DESIGN?

I have always been passionate about design and architecture in general and so I wanted to follow my passion. First I have studied marketing and fashion communication in Rome and later on, I moved to the European capital of fashion, Paris. There, I attended a master’s degree in luxury goods and I also had the chance and the privilege to work for Valentino and French e-commerce businesses.

WHAT HAS PROMPTED YOU TO ESTABLISH YOUR OWN LABEL? WHAT DID YOU HAVE TO OVERCOME?

Initially, I did not think of starting my own business at all. I was afraid of not being up to it and I think I was held back by not knowing whether my products would have appealed to the public, which is essential after all. So it was actually friends and strangers as well, who I found to be amazed by my creations and encouraged me to create what has now become my job.

YOU DECIDED TO NAME YOUR BRAND “PYLA”. WHAT’S THE MEANING OF IT?

The choice of the brand name was extremely difficult, long and tiring. In the end, an emotionally charged journey led me to opt for this name. Indeed, Pyla is a dune located in the south of France near Bordeaux. When I first saw this huge pile of sand, the formation of which is unclear, I couldn’t help but to be entranced by it. From there came the idea, that just like that dune, where simple sand is transformed into an extraordinary masterpiece, my jewellery uses humble raw materials but results in something rather unexpected.

WHAT IS THE MOTTO OF PYLA?

curated design jewelry
form over the substance

WHAT INSPIRES YOU AND WHAT PART OF THE PRODUCTION DO YOU ENJOY THE MOST?

My main inspirations are the architecture and modern art - in particular Alvar Aalto, Lucio Fontana and Sonia Delaunay. I love the experimental stage, when I create new patterns and shapes, trying new materials and doing various tests. I like to show prototypes to my closest friends and relatives to see their reactions and discuss new ideas or suggestions about changes. I love to experiment and discover!

TELL US A BIT MORE ABOUT YOUR CURRENT COLLECTION AND YOUR PLANS FOR THE FUTURE...

Our first summer collection intends to represent the true summer with its scents, colours, and explosion of emotions. We wanted it to be simple and essential (as are the core values of the brand), but also fresh and young. We want to bring the spirit of this season to our customers. Therefore we decided to use bright colours, geometry and pleasant lines and baptise the necklaces with the names of different flowers. About the future, we are preparing a 100% summery limited edition capsule collection and we have already begun to make the first tests for the AW17-18 collection!

HOW DO YOU SELECT THE MATERIALS YOU WORK WITH, WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE MATERIAL AND WHY?

I wanted the materials I chose to be definitely simple and humble in order to enhance the shape and design over the substance and the intrinsic value of the material itself. In our current collection, we use three materials, aluminium, copper and Plexiglas. Aluminum is certainly my favourite! Partly because it was the first material I used and learnt about, and partly because it is very flexible and pleasant to work with.

WHAT IS UNIQUE ABOUT YOUR PRODUCTS?

I would say having elevated different humble raw materials and turning them, through its form, into a unique design object.

WHY DO YOU DO WHAT YOU DO, WHAT IS YOUR GOAL?

I started to create the first necklace because I had this specific shape in my mind and I couldn’t find it anywhere. So I would say my main goal is to create new models that are actually not available in the market, that stand out and are original and unique. Before founding Pyla I have done an extensive two-year-long monitoring of the market that led me to be sure that what I was proposing in terms of lines and materials is a new product, not experienced by anyone before.

EXCEPT FOR JEWELLERY DESIGN, WHAT ARE YOU PASSIONATE ABOUT?

I really like to go out and discover new things! I’m enthusiastic about theatre, mostly I love comedy; and modern or contemporary art. I love the work of Fontana, Kandinsky, Mondrian and Klein. Indie rock, both Italian and non-Italian, is also my passion. I love McFly's Got Time, Franz Ferdinand and Mumford and Sons.

WHAT PLACES WOULD YOU RECOMMEND TO DESIGN LOVERS IN ROME?

I would definitely recommend doing a tour of the "Monti" district, where many interesting designer shops are located. Even Pyla has managed to carve out a small corner in this neighborhood! ;)

WHAT DOES MINIMALISM MEAN TO YOU?

style, clean lines and simplicity

SHOP PYLA

NURA's INSTAGRAM