On the heels of a new footwear collaboration, designer Juliana Liden opens up to L’OFFICIEL about building a cult-favorite label defined by her signature shells.

The staying power of the pendant necklace is no longer up for debate. At the forefront of the movement is Julietta, the cult-favorite New York–based jewelry label founded in 2021 by Brazilian-born designer Juliana Liden. Known for her playful yet elevated approach, Liden has helped usher vintage-inspired charms back into the spotlight in the form of statement shells, fluid tassels, and oversized pearls. “I spend a lot of time looking backward,” she tells L’OFFICIEL. “I’m fascinated by the way that something from another era can suddenly feel relevant again when viewed through a different lens.”Creating pieces that feel equally timely and timeless, Liden continues to stay ahead of the curve by introducing unexpected materials and sculptural elements into her collections. While shells—which she sources from a shell farm in the Philippines—remain a signature, recent designs have expanded to include rich wood finishes and other organic textures that tap into fashion's ongoing fascination with natural materials. This summer, however, she's seen one category lead the charge. "Beaded necklaces are very hot right now," says Liden, noting that one material brings her the most creative freedom. "Resin is my favorite material to work with because the possibilities are endless. You can mix it with everything from metal to wood, so the world is your oyster."&nbsp;

That sense of possibility extends beyond the jewelry box and into how her pieces are worn. Despite designing inherently attention-worthy accessories, Liden's own styling philosophy is surprisingly restrained. "I think the simpler the outfit, the better for playing with jewelry," she says. "I'm not a huge fan of wearing everything all at once, but I love having one chunky bracelet or a really long, bold necklace paired with tiny little earrings." For her, jewelry's power lies in its ability to redefine even the most basic wardrobe staples. "What fascinates me about jewelry is its ability to completely transform a simple outfit, like a white T-shirt and jeans, by adding just the right piece."Now, Liden is bringing Julietta's distinctive point of view to a new category. The brand has partnered with French footwear label Nodaleto on an <a href="https://nodaleto.com/en-us/collections/nodaleto-x-julietta">eight-piece collection</a> that extends Julietta's playful, customizable aesthetic beyond necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. "I've always been interested in bringing the world of Julietta to unexpected categories," she says. "I thought, Why should Julietta only exist on the neck, wrist, or ear?"Featuring pendant necklaces, ankle bracelets, toe rings, and jeweled shoe clips crafted in gold-plated brass, the collaboration felt like a natural fit. "Our aesthetics are very similar and full of personality, and, of course, we share a love for statement pieces," says Liden. “Nodaleto believes accessories should bring joy to the women who wear them, and I loved the idea of bringing Julietta’s world to footwear and giving women another way to personalize pieces they already own and make them feel new again."Below, see L'OFFICIEL's full conversation with Liden, who talks New York inspirations, her early passion for jewelry, and the label's rise to fame.&nbsp;

L’OFFICIEL: When did your fascination with jewelry begin? Was there a particular piece that sparked your interest?JULIANA LIDEN: It started with the first bracelet I ever made. I was 10, and my grandmother gave me a box of broken costume jewelry. I remember assembling the pieces, just putting them apart and making them into something new: a necklace would turn into a bracelet, a broken pair of earrings would turn into an anklet. I’ve always just been drawn to things that felt unexpected; I've never been interested in the obvious choice. Even as a child, I liked personality pieces that felt a little different. I think that instinct stayed with me, because I still love taking something familiar and turning it into something else.&nbsp;L’O: How did you turn that passion into a brand?&nbsp;&nbsp;JL: During the pandemic, I started buying vintage Hermés scarves online and sewing them into face masks. I had worked in marketing until then; I wasn’t trying to start a brand. I just wanted to be creative and make something with my own hands. Then I was bombarded with all of these fashion people reaching out, asking for face masks made out of vintage scarves. I realized that I could put my ideas out there. One day, I bought a batch of deadstock pieces for $400, mostly old plastic earrings. I started painting and reassembling them, and that’s how the brand began. Six months later, I landed a trunk show—but production was a mess. People wanted the designs, but I didn’t know how to give it to them. That was a big challenge, plus, Julietta is four years old and my daughter is three, so I basically birthed two babies within the same year. There have been a lot of late nights, sacrifices, and moments where the boundaries between work and life completely disappeared. It hasn’t been easy.L’O: As the brand's grown, who or what continues to inspire your designs?JL: People inspire me more than anything, and I'm not talking about celebrities or influencers—just people who use accessories in a personal way. It’s interesting to see how someone styles a necklace they've owned for 10 years in different ways. I also have an obsession with flea markets; my favorite is Saint-Ouen in Paris, but you need two full days to go through everything. I’m constantly taking photographs while I travel, too. Sometimes I'll save an image and not understand why until like 6 months later, when I suddenly think, Oh, that could be an amazing earring.L’O: Julietta is Brooklyn-based. Does New York’s energy impact your work at all?&nbsp;JL: I was born and raised in Brazil, but I think living in New York for the past 20 years has shaped me more—including the way I think about design. People here don't really limit themselves with what they're wearing, and I just find the attitude very inspiring. The grit, the hustle, the scale of my work has been influenced by the city, for sure. I always aim to make a statement, but without trying to look too cliché.&nbsp;

L’O:&nbsp;Many of your pieces are vintage-inspired. Which era resonates with you most?&nbsp;JL: I love the boldness of the ‘70s—that’s probably my favorite era of jewelry—and the confidence of the ‘80s, when people really didn’t care and it was the bigger, the better. The incredible attention to detail you see in Art Deco is influencing me lately, too. What interests me is not recreating those periods, but borrowing certain elements and making them feel modern and relevant in today's fashion world.&nbsp;L’O:&nbsp;Are there any designers who have particularly influenced you?&nbsp;JL: Christian Lacroix is my number one. I loved his boldness, playfulness, and the fact that he was not limited to a single material. I'm completely obsessed with Bulgari from the ‘70s—the Tubogas chains, the Serpenti watches. Bulgari has had a big influence on me; some of our bestsellers feature a Tubogas chain, like the <a href="https://www.shopjulietta.com/products/opyum-necklace">Opyum necklace</a>, which is a choker with a removable pendant. It’s my favorite piece I’ve designed, mostly because it's a statement piece but also very easy to wear and practical. Comfort is everything to me and when I started designing the Opyum, I had it on my neck for about six months until we got to the perfect sample with a magnetic clasp. Now when you put it on, you barely feel it's there. And I feel like people are resonating with that.&nbsp;

L’O: When you’re designing, do you think about how jewelry becomes part of someone's personal story?JL: Jewelry is one of the few things people keep for a very long time. Even when they move apartments, change cities, or enter new phases of life, certain pieces stay with them and become attached to memories or relationships. I love the idea that something we make today might still be in someone's jewelry box 20 years from now and represent a moment in their life.L’O: To you, who is the Julietta woman?JL: I think our customers share a similar instinct when it comes to discovering things. They're the person who notices something that other people walk past or find a small restaurant before it becomes popular. They're not necessarily trying to stand out; they're simply drawn to things that feel a little less obvious. Some women buy Julietta to complete an outfit, but many of our customers genuinely enjoy collecting beautiful, unique objects.&nbsp;L’O:&nbsp;Speaking of, what do you think makes Julietta’s shell designs stand out from other brands?JL: Our first collection had six different designs, and four of them were shells. Most of the shells I work with are natural; I work with a shell farm in the Philippines, and they do this amazing job of filling the shells with resin. I think that differentiates Julietta from other brands in the market, because our shells are more unique—and people really know us for that now. Having grown up by the ocean, shells just bring me this feeling that summer is coming, even when it’s winter. We also have what I call “winter shells,” which are made out of metal and can easily be worn during summer or winter.&nbsp;

L’O: In addition to the fashion set, you’ve gained a celebrity clientele. Most recently, Beyoncé wore the <a href="https://www.shopjulietta.com/products/pearl-drop-silver">Pearl Drop necklace</a>, which was one of your first designs. How does a moment like that feel at this point?JL: What made it more special wasn't just that it was Beyoncé, but that it was completely unexpected. In fashion, there's often so much effort spent trying to get pieces onto the right people; the stylists are being pitched constantly. So waking up one morning and seeing someone so iconic wear Julietta without us sending or pitching anything just felt surreal. She chose a piece that's been part of the brand from the very beginning, and in an industry that's constantly chasing what's new, there is something incredibly validating about seeing a design continue to resonate three years later. And out of thousands of options, from some of the biggest houses in the world, she chose that specific necklace. It was a moment I will never forget.L’O:&nbsp;Speaking of memorable moments, when was the first time the brand felt like a success?JL: The most meaningful moments are often the ones I never really planned for. Walking into a store I've admired for years and seeing Julietta displayed alongside brands I’ve respected my entire life still feels very emotional to me. When I first moved to New York in the mid-2000s, I was obsessed with Tom Binns—I don't know if you remember his crazy unconventional designs, but I could barely afford rent at the time, let alone a $1,000 necklace—and in a very full-circle New York moment, some of the same hands that produced those necklaces are making my pieces today. Another moment that really stayed with me was when I received a letter from one of our suppliers, the shell farm in the Philippines, thanking me for helping support the entire family. Realizing that the growth of my tiny little jewelry business impacts other people's lives, and not just my own, is incredibly moving.&nbsp;L’O:&nbsp;The Nodaleto collaboration launched today. What else is on the horizon for Julietta?&nbsp;JL: We’re currently in the middle of a four-month pop-up at Le Bon Marché in Paris, which has been a major milestone. I'm also very excited about pushing Julietta into new categories and exploring how the brand can exist beyond traditional jewelry, so I've been working on some stuff. The Nodaleto collaboration is a good example of that. I think what excites me most is that Julietta is still very young; we're only four years in, and I still feel like we're building. Every day is something new.

How Julietta Turned Vintage-Inspired Pendant Necklaces Into a Modern Obsession

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