Created by New York-based French entrepreneur, Camille Parruitte, Nouvel Heritage brings together a perfect fusion of past and future, tradition and modernity.
Growing up in and around her family’s jewelry manufacturing business in France, Parruitte is well versed in excellent craftmanship, describing herself as naturally jewelry-passionate today. As she takes up the vocation in her own right with Nouvel Heritage, Parruitte aims to perpetuate her family heritage while highlighting the art both in design and manufacturing that is always ethical and sustainable.
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Here, Parruitte discusses her family’s deep roots in the jewelry industry, designing for the modern consumer, reinventing jewelry classics with boldness and ingenuity, and what’s next for the brand.
Fairchild Studio: What prompted you to launch Nouvel Heritage?
Camille Parruitte: Jewelry has always had a special place in my heart. My family runs one of the leading jewelry manufacturing groups in France. Growing up, my mother shared her passion for jewelry craftsmanship and jewelry design with me. Not only has she made me love the art that goes into designing jewelry, but she also imprinted in me how important it is for jewelry to be made ethically and sustainably.
In 2015, after living abroad and far from my family, I felt a deep need to reconnect with my French side and find a way to stay close to my family. That’s when I took on the challenge of building a fine jewelry brand that was as desirable as it was environmentally committed, responsible and sustainable. Today Nouvel Heritage enables me to work closely with my family and our workshops.
Fairchild Studio: How would you describe Nouvel Heritage’s aesthetic? How do you think about design?
C.P.: The collection we are most known for is the Mood collection which draws its inspiration from the aesthetic codes of the punk movement and revisits piercing as a signature element of the collection. Another important signature collection for Nouvel Heritage is the streetwear-inspired Latch collection which reinvents the codes of classic jewelry through versatile necklaces – the chains look like shoelaces and the pendants are inspired by cord stops for drawstrings on sweaters.
The pieces from these two collections are timeless – I love combining modern lines with surprising ideas, like the shoelaces, to create fun and timeless designs.
Fairchild Studio: How would you describe the Nouvel Heritage primary consumer?
C.P.: The Nouvel Heritage client is empowered and confident. They lead a busy, on-the-go lifestyle and love investing in beautiful pieces of jewelry that can adapt to their day. These are the kind of pieces they can wear from morning to night. They don’t limit themselves to one style; instead, they celebrate every detail of their personality and individuality. They also value the unique stories behind the jewelry they invest in and care deeply about how the pieces are made.
Fairchild Studio: What differentiates your design process from contemporaries in the jewelry space?
C.P.: Our workshops abide by the highest standards of integrity and ethics and have obtained the Code of Practices (CoP) certification from the Responsible Jewelry Council (RJC). These workshops are located in Paris and the French Burgundy region, gathering over 500 people we work with all kinds of talents such as model-makers, setters, polishers and engravers that combine savoir-faire handed down from generation to generation, with a constant quest for innovation so as to reinvent jewelry classics with boldness and ingenuity. We are proud to promote French jewelry craftsmanship abroad as well as in France which is a large heritage of the country going back centuries.
Fairchild Studio: How do you see the brand continuing to grow?
C.P.: We have a lot of exciting projects for the brand in the next few months and years, with a new collection launching next year and two to three new editions coming out throughout the year. We are also proud to announce that we are launching the brand on the French and European market in 2024, our team is constantly growing and it’s very rewarding to be working with an amazing team that works hard to build the brand with me.
We are celebrating the 10th anniversary of the brand in 2025 and we have a lot of exciting launches and brand activations planned ahead of this big event. Stay tuned!