Art is important for a happy life

FreyWille brings beauty, art and fashion all together with enamelled jewellery that echoes fine art.

Talented designer Michaela Frey founded  the company in Vienna, Austria in 1951 in her parents’ flat, a site that still serves as the company’s headquarters to this day.  She was well known for her decorative flair in objets d’art and was inspired by Austrian and French artists. In the 1960’s, she created for Harrods, the famous London shopping destination, a jewellery collection decorated with Swarovski crystals. 

In the 1970s, Dr. Friedrich Wille joined the company with an aim of expanding the brand in Europe and abroad. The two rebranded the company as FreyWille and opened one of the first boutiques in Paris in 1976 and London in 1978.

FreyWille began working with the biggest names in haute couture, such as Yves Saint Laurent, Paco Rabanne and Hermés. This is the period where Michaela Frey began her association with the fashion world and invented passementerie necklaces, brooches, manchettes bangles and pocket watches inspired by the ‘Arts Nouveaux’ period. The company attracted thousands of collectors who breathlessly awaited each new design and accessory.

Dr. Wille said, “I am inspired by art and philosophy, immaterial values, and wish to help people learn to live better lives though beauty and give them small reasons to be happy. Creativity is very precious so we keep bringing out new collections to send these perceptions of art as one key to happiness”.

The 80’s marked a watershed in the history of FreyWille with the untimely passing of Michaela Frey and the arrival of a new team of designers, including Dr. Wille’s wife, Simone Grünberger-Wille, whose  penchant for art history changed the brand dramatically. Collections such as “Avant-Garde”, “Tropical”  and “Egypte” met with unprecedented success in Paris and elsewhere.

Dr. Wille said, “We make most of the jewellery in Austria but several of the mountings are done in other countries, France, Switzerland and Italy, and use skilled artisans from Eastern Europe where the crafts have not yet died out.  The enamelling process is very complicated with so many little pieces, and quality  control is essential for colour matching. We use a system of screen printing to ensure consistency”.

In 1992, the Foundation Claude Monet contacted FreyWille house with a view to designing an exclusive collection. FreyWille’s artists and craftsmen  created a unique collection, in the great artist’s honour, by interpreting the famous Impressionist’s Givery flowers, resulting in “Hommage à Claude  Monet”, the ‘Iris’ collection.

In 1994, the company created a collection called “William Morris” for one of London’s fine museums. This period was also the beginning of the  first collection inspired by the Austrian Symbolist and painter Gustav Klimt. At the same time, the artists created, under the direction of Simone Grünberger Wille,  a new geometrical collection named “Modern Art” that changed everyone’s perception of what enamelled jewellery could be.

From 1997 to the present, the company has been developing an extensive network of boutiques, starting with branches in Germany, Switzerland and Italy.  The move to Asia started with a shop in Hong Kong and of course the company is looking to China and Japan as well. New York, Los Angeles, and this year,  Sydney, Australia followed. 

Dr. Wille remarked that the Chinese customers’ tastes are changing, becoming more sophisticated.  The company has a steady stream of collectors from the USA and Europe, but those economies are slowing down, and Asia is  growing so the company is planning further expansion.

The company now counts 86 boutiques located  in the most prestigious fashion areas of the world’s capitals,  featuring collections of jewellery that are distinguished by their unique designs, shapes and colours, offering matching earrings, necklaces, bracelets, pendants and rings, as well as ladies’ watches, charm watches, scarves and clutch and evening  bags, even venturing into men’s ties, belts and  cufflinks. Women and men who buy and wear such eye-catching totems of good taste not only turn heads but display an uncommon flair for fashion along with a keen eye for value.

These collections would not be what they are today without the constant effort of the creative team committed to  upholding the Austrian goldsmith and enameller’s reputation as the benchmark in decorative art jewellery in precious enamel.

The Sphinx was chosen as the FreyWille emblem as the embodiment of one of the oldest dreams of mankind; a mystical beast that epitomizes pure creativity. Its goal is to harmonise the power and elegant majesty of the lion with the freedom of an eagle, and the intellectual capacity of a human. The Sphinx  represents hope, dreams, and the power to create. The “Magic Sphinx” collections in new coral, white  pearl, royal blue and platinum sets are among  the most popular and enduring.

This collection is one that clearly defines the FreyWille philosophy of Pure Art. The enamel canvasses are adorned with the Sphinx symbol; three dimensional and finished with different metallic enamel effects to add quiet luxury to this visually  powerful collection of jewellery.

FAST FACTS
• 1950s : Folkloric designed enamel jewellery

• 1960s : Created a collection for Harrods, decorated with Swarovski crystal 

• 1970s : Formed an association with YSL

• 1980s : Royal bangle, Egyptian collection

• 1990s : Diva bangle, “Hommage à Claude Monet”, Iris collection

• 2000-07 : Halfmoon pendant, “Hommage à Hundertwasser”, Spiral of Life collection • 2008: Diva bangle, “Ode to Joy of Life,” Heavenly Joy collection 

• 2011: Luna Piena pendant “Hommage à Gustav Klimt”, Hope collection