Sophie Bille Brahe Reveals Her Latest Collection, “Magical Thinking”
The jewelry designer shares her passion for diamonds, the cosmos, and makes her dreams tangible with this new collection.
Sophie Bille Brahe has always had a creative force in her. With the launch of her new collection, Magical Thinking, she sat down with Only Natural Diamonds to share her story, her work, and says that her new collection is a mix of fun, elegant, and timeless pieces. The designer shot the new collection on the multifaceted Dree Hemingway, and describes the feeling of wearing the pieces from Magical Thinking as “going to a ‘90s party at Versailles.”
Ever since she was a young girl, Sophie recalls that she loved working with her hands, whether it be drawing, painting, building, or overall creating. “It was a way to express myself,” she said. It all started in the 7th grade when she began to create jewelry. “There was a teacher who saw that I enjoyed working with fiber and glass, so she made me a little workshop where I could go to create things.”
As for the diamonds? They are the reason she chose this profession. “Diamonds give me a really magical feeling that I can’t explain and are always the thing that has driven me as a jewelry designer,” she said.
Sophie’s parents had a 17th-century Chinese cabinet that sparked her curiosity. “On Sunday mornings, they would permit me to rummage through the bric-a-brac in the drawers.” She revealed, “I once found a diamond ring my parents didn’t know was there. They later gave it to me on a special occasion.”
“Diamonds are mesmerizing to me,” she said. “I love that it comes from the earth, each one is unique.” Sophie also explained her fascination for the night sky and why she loves working with diamonds so much, saying, “Pearls represent the moon to me, and diamonds are the stars.” She continued, “There is something deeply inspiring and mysterious about the universe above us and working with diamonds is my way to get my head around it.”
“Pearls represent the moon to me, and diamonds are the stars.”
Sophie Bille Brahe
Sophie described the aesthetic of her designs as, “Modern classics, understated luxury. Poetic, Scandinavian and sophisticated.” She believes creating jewelry is more about taking things away versus adding, saying, “I always think “how simple can you show a pearl?” or “how clean can you show a diamond?” She continued, “I don’t feel a setting should ever take the focus away from the material, unless the setting is part of the story that I want to tell. I love clean lines and the fact that each piece tells its own history.”
Her inspiration for her designs and the Magical Thinking collection comes from deep within. “I like to think that each collection acts as a window to my imagination or my soul in some way. It is a way to see how I felt and what I was thinking at the time.” She added, “It is my way to keep in check with reality and to organize my life.”
“I like to think that each collection acts as a window to my imagination or my soul in some way.”
Sophie Bille Brahe
Magical Thinking happened at the perfect time. Sophie said, “Magical Thinking is sumptuous, yet it remains fun and very elegant.” She had been holding on to the designs in her head, but never dared to act on her vision. She soon realized that the company evolved for her to present more difficult cuts and more opulent designs such as the Jardin de Coeurs earrings that combine diamonds in marquise, pear, and heart shapes.
This collection is large for the designer, and she used bigger stones than before. She said, “It just felt right to go big and to add a bit of majesty to my design,” Continuing, “I think the Jardin de Perle earrings describe the collection perfectly, with their chandelier-style, they have something a bit queenly, but the dangling diamonds bring the party to the castle.”
“What I did was reach out and make my dreams tangible with my designs in this collection.”
Sophie Bille Brahe
“I tried to put myself in that space between sleep and wakefulness, between day and night. That’s when I do my best work.” She continued, “Magical Thinking really is my core collection, I followed my intuition and tried not to overthink. Creating it was somehow a way to free myself from a lot of thoughts that have been lingering in my head for a while.”
Aside from her new collection, which is available to shop now, Sophie has been a part of many brides’ special days. When asked about seeing brides in her jewelry, she said, “It means the world to me that people wear it. That’s what jewelry is so good at – they tell people’s stories.” She continued, “Memories are so closely attached to jewelry and to a very special moment in time. My hope is that each piece will be passed on to the next generation.”
She added how proud she is of the Engagement Collection, saying “The Escargot is such a beautiful ring if you’re getting married.”
As for personal style, Sophie prefers to keep it simple. “I love my Collier de Tennis necklace with a white t-shirt or my Peggy Necklace with a slip dress.” She says, “I let the jewelry speak for itself.”
