maison orleans

Here in New Orleans there is a reason ghost tours are so popular with tourists. This city definitely has a dark side, one that we embrace whole heartedly. From our beautiful cemeteries to tales of Jean-Lafitte everyone loves a sinister story. Janelle of Maison Orleans has managed to capture this mood with her line of jewelry inspired by her deep love of the dark.


 


Your jewelry certainly has a dark feel to it with a lot of ocean references. Describe Maison Orleans and what your aesthetic is.
I think the atmosphere of New Orleans lends itself to dark expression. I’ve been drawn to both the mysteries of this city and the mysteries of the ocean for as long as I can remember. There’s a certain romance to it, even in our beautiful cemeteries. Where else is a funeral celebrated with dancing and jazz music? As to the ocean, who hasn’t dreamed of sailing the high seas as a pirate or discovering a long-lost shipwreck? My aesthetic might seem eclectic, but I design and create my pieces in the hopes that there is someone else out there who will see and feel that same sense of mystery.





How does living in New Orleans help you with your design inspirations?

There is no greater city in the world for artistic inspiration. If you spend even a few hours watching people flow through the French Quarter or travel the river, or walk by the street artists and performers, you can’t help but feel the uniqueness of the culture. Even the architecture is fascinating.






Aside from jewelry what are your hobbies?
3. I also paint and make clothing (which will hopefully make it into my shop), and I could spend weeks wandering flea markets and thrift shops. I really love to take something “discarded” and turn it into something beautiful, or at least something interesting!



Any big plans in the future?

I never want the kind of success that would mean I couldn’t personally make every single piece I offer. I added Maison Orleans as an avenue for pieces that are close to my heart rather than commercial, and I’m content to continue. In a perfect world, I would share a retail space in the city, mainly for the direct contact that it would provide.



Define southern style.


Southern style, to me, is exaggerated in every sense. Whether it’s an elaborate chandelier, a monster truck, a 7-course meal, a mass of second liners, big hair, or unique jewelry, the South does what it does on a big scale, and I love every minute:)


Janelle sells her jewelry in the Maison Orleans Etsy shop.