If you haven't heard the name Maria Nilsdotter by now get ready, because the Swedish jewelry designer is about to blow up.
Fresh off releasing her latest collection "The Siren," Nilsdotter's statement pieces are popping up everywhere. Worn by tastemakers like Danish model Mona Tougaard, rapper 070 Shake, Gigi Hadid in Netflix's Next In Fashion series, Kylie Jenner, and even the Swedish Crown Princess (the Royal stamp of approval is a big flex), her jewelry has captured attention worldwide. And deservedly so.
"I love seeing my jewelry worn, it is so inspiring to see how people wear and style it and make it their own," Nilsdotter tells Highsnobiety. "It's so personal and kind of intimate so I’m very proud and amazed whenever I see someone choosing to wear one of my little creatures."
Nilsdotter is a graduate of London's Central Saint Martins and founded her eponymous label in 2007. Jewelry is entirely personal, and when it comes to the designer's inspiration, she cites a world filled with magical creatures, fairytales, and everything in between. Each piece is designed to tell its own story and is made by hand using precious metals and gemstones including both pearls and diamonds. The new Siren collection experiments with size and shape, and features plenty of statement pieces.
"Stories from around the world tell the tales of Sirens as creatures with enchanting voices that lured sailors to dangerous waters," she explains. "I wanted to make a collection that explored the essence of the Siren, her charm and darkness, as well as her hunger for intimacy."
The collection dives deep into the ocean and into the unknown, and if you're a thalassophobiak (someone who has the persistent and intense fear of deep bodies of water such as the sea, oceans, and lakes) now is the time to look away – or embrace it, you choose.
One of the collection's stand-out pieces is a handmade silver ring in the shape of a large octopus. The eight-armed creature also makes an appearance as a necklace showcasing the "allure of the deep sea." The collection is somewhere between beautiful and eerie, and I can't help but love every single piece because of the elaborate stories they tell.
In addition to the latest drop, Nilsdotter has also produced a campaign featuring "the voice of the Siren," portrayed by artist and producer Stella Explorer.
If you weren't already convinced, her jewelry also makes the perfect stacking pieces. Maria always rocks an impressive and perfectly curated mix of her pieces on her IG, as well as shares plenty of insight into the creation of each collection, from early sketches to the finished product.
"I love working in my sketchbook and making wax models, it’s very meditative. The most challenging part of the creative process comes after that when the piece comes to life. Sometimes it feels right from first casting but sometimes it takes a lot of trying out. For example, I remade the Siren Medallion about 15 times to get the right detailing, I started that process about two years ago."
"I’m so obsessed and in love with jewelry making and my wish is to tell stories through my collections," Nilsdotter continues. Although her brand has grown immensely over the past few years, she's already looking ahead. "We have some really exciting collaborations coming up and I’m working on quite a big new Tarot themed collection that we will show in Paris in June. I want the brand to grow and reach more people outside of Sweden while still keeping the soul of the brand intact."
So, it goes without saying that you're about to see a whole lot more of Maria Nilsdotter when it comes to jewelry, and I can't wait. Her most recent collection is available to shop online, with more to come in the next few months.
