Lulu Frost

To celebrate the arrival of the cult New York jewellery brand in our rue du Mont Thabor boutique and online, we asked a few questions to the creative mind behind Lulu Frost. Jewels as self-portraits, letters to say what matters, and a New York twist with vintage soul — meet a designer who turns the past into a personal statement.

1. You’ve said that jewellery helps people reconnect with themselves. What does that mean to you today?
Throughout my life growing up in the antique jewelry industry, I've seen how people select jewelry to mark momentous occasions in their life. The feeling of buying oneself or receiving a special jewel at a particular time in life forms a deep connection emotionally.

Today, the idea of people reconnecting with themselves means more to me than ever because it seems to me that we're all striving to find out exactly who we are. That is the great mystery. However, I believe that jewels do shed light on this eternal question. Symbols that we are drawn to, time periods, and personal talismans which resonate are more powerful than ever, to convey aspects of our personas to those we love around us and most importantly, to oneself. Jewelry can serve as a reminder throughout the day, a simple touch-point to stay brave, give yourself patience, or simply to remember that you are loved. Lulu frost jewelry serves all those purposes.

2. Lulu Frost is deeply rooted in your family history. What’s the very first heirloom that truly left a mark on you?
The very first heirloom that truly left a mark on me is one that I still cherish today. It's a small Victorian 10 karat rose gold ring with two opals and a spray of tiny gray seed pearls coming from either side of each opal, made circa 1900. The ring is simple, understated and timeless and always reminds me of my grandmother, the wonderful woman who gave it to me at a young age to cherish and wear later as I grew into maturity. The time has come where I do often don this special ring, and it gives me a sense of connection to my dear Grandma Frost.

3. The Charm’d collection invites each person to become the designer of their own piece. What do you think makes modular jewellery so magical? And which charm combination feels most "you"?
My absolute favorite aspect of Lulu Frost is how each client does get the chance to reinvent the jewelry again and again, thereby being the designer of each reinvention.

Modular jewelry is so special because it gives you an endless array of ways to wear the components and elements of your collection. For example, you could drape your long chain necklace around your body as a belt upon a loose dress, completely changing the look. You could add your charms as a tassel down your hip, and of course you could wear various charms on different days on your classic necklace, with no two days being exactly alike. For me, the most "me" charm combination is our classic Rectangle or Edge link chain, paired with a Plaza letter (L, please!), coupled with a cluster of fabulous vintage charms that no one else will have. I love the iconic look of our Plaza letters mixed with my one of a kind finds. The unique nature of each combination is truly what makes Lulu Frost and its wearers so special.

4. You salvaged the original numbers and letters from the Plaza Hotel and turned them into charms. What is it about that typography that resonates so deeply with you?
Numbers and letters from the Plaza Hotel in New York City are the most stunning font, and it turns out that this font dates back to around 1907, when the Plaza first opened. Believe it or not, I've seen the same font from time to time on buildings in Paris! This beautiful font has such a wonderful combination of curves and straight lines, with true dimensionality, creating a wonderful dynamic that is simultaneously antique and modern. This combination of timelessness with a contemporary feel is exactly what Lulu Frost is all about. The juxtaposition of the old with the new is what resonates very deeply with me and my aesthetic.

5. Your mother is now the vintage buyer for the brand. What’s it like working together? Do you have any sourcing rituals or golden rules?
My awesome mom, Linda Frost Salzer, is a wonderful treasure hunter with the best eye.She got me started when I was a young girl by going to flea markets and estate sales, and she and I (plus my dad) loved to go scouting for great vintage as I was starting Lulu Frost back in the mid 2000's. My parents have been instrumental in supporting me in so many ways, not least of which is buying thousands of fabulous vintage pieces over the years for me. I love working with my mom because she has such a wonderful eye and amazing bravery - she'll negotiate with anyone to get the best price. Our sourcing rituals center around Saturdays and Sundays out in the Hamptons looking for estate sales in the local paper, and heading there together to sleuth for jewels. We love browsing the funky finds and looking for just the right treasures to add to the Lulu Frost charm collection. We also enjoy going to Brimfield, one of the biggest dealer flea markets on the East Coast. Finding treasure is what it's all about, and my mom and I excel at doing that. It must be my grandmother's DNA running through our veins.

6. What makes you say: “Now that’s a Lulu Frost piece”? Is there a red thread or recurring emotion behind your designs?
Thank you for this lovely question. In looking for pieces that feel very "Lulu Frost", I search for things that make my eye pause, & then linger, and for objects and jewels that intrigue me. I love unusual materials and color combinations, and I'm a sucker for all things Victorian,Bakelite and celluloid circa 1930s and of course Art Deco. I also adore animals, creatures and natural motifs like flowers, vines and brambles, and Art Nouveau related pieces. However, anything can catch my eye – I think there's an aspect of whimsy and wittiness that comes through the pieces that draw my attention. The recurring emotion behind my designs are object that spark joy, invite deeper curiosity and those that are simply beautiful.

7. Working with vintage is also an ethical choice. What does this approach mean to you?
I'm a huge environmentalist at heart. I've always been very interested in conservation and preserving our one home, Mother Earth. I consciously make the choice to continue using vintage and antique elements in my work and reinvent, as I think this is the most exciting way to design. This process allows me to alchemize and transform energy into something fresh and modern, which is very invigorating for me. Furthermore, we're saving production energy by not creating something new all the time. Of course I appreciate and love new creations, but what better way to do that than starting with time-honored source materials. I think the ethics of upcycling and reworking finds from the past are very interesting and exciting, and I hope that more designers follow suit, especially as our natural resources become more and more precious.

8. You grew up in New York, but your inspirations often stretch across to Europe. Where does your imagination like to wander?
Being from New York, I was blessed to have had many privileges and opportunities to travel throughout my life, and I was lucky enough to visit Europe as a young child. I often think of Lulu Frost as a character living in the world, gallivanting around fabulous cities like London and Paris, meeting interesting people along the way and of course collecting beautiful pieces to work into her collection all the while. My imagination loves to wander far and wide, from Montana to Bermuda to Liverpool to Tokyo and even further afield. I'm so inspired by my clients around the world, and I love to think of them when I'm designing my work. How will the charms and chains fit into these women and men's lives? It makes me very happy to think of stylish, fun and witty people wearing Lulu Frost around the world.

9. Your community includes powerful women, artists, icons. Who do you think embodies the spirit of Lulu Frost today?
I believe the spirit of Lulu Frost is beautifully embodied by one of the ultimate queens in our world today, Lady Gaga. Lady Gaga is from Long Island, like me, and as a young rising artist had raw unstoppable talent that she worked tirelessly to shape into something truly remarkable. She continued to follow her star and became something truly new and groundbreaking in the process. Lady Gaga has worn quite a bit of Lulu Frost, and I feel her spirit really embodies what I'm going for – a healthy dose of tradition mixed with an incredibly modern spirit. Thank you Gaga

10. A quick-fire portrait, if Lulu Frost were...
A jewel: Fire opal, for the beautiful array of colors and natures bounty.
A gemstone: Emerald, for its cooling and soothing effect on one's eyes - Lulu Frost is rather easy on the eyes :)
A flower: A peony - lush, full and gorgeous, full of life and color.
A dish: A delicious silky smooth spring pea puree soup, garnished with toasted pistachios, creme fraiche and pea shoots, made with garden shelled peas. Fresh, enlivening and delightful.
A work of art: A Cindy Sherman self-portrait - the queen of reinvention herself is certainly a heroine for Lulu Frost and her work of art embodiment.
An author or a book: Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean Auel- the main character Ayla, never gives up and transforms those around her for the better.
A country: Japan, for its inimitable mix of tradition-meets-modernism.
An animal: The bobcat, for her patience, vigilance, clear vision and independence.
Long live Lulu Frost! Thank you so much for this chance to reveal more about my brand. Very warmly, Lisa Salzer aka Lulu Frost :)