Meet the Maker: Folde

Who are you, where are you from and what do you make?

We are Robyn and Birgit. We met at Central Saint Martins and started a jewellery studio together in 2021, named Folde. With Folde, meaning earth in Old English, we have the aim to celebrate natural materials and British craftsmanship in jewellery. Our pieces often combine recycled silver with highland horn, a material which is often just seen as waste and without value. We try to revive the heritage craft of horn working by creating playful but refined pieces of jewellery.

What inspires you?

R – Our shared practice began with us exchanging images with the rule that each image had to be based on the last without any written explanation of why. We covered so many topics, from gender roles and domesticity to dance, choreography and the body – it was an incredible way to discover what inspired us both as every image was down to our own interpretation.

B – I have always been inspired by the relationships we create with objects. I love hearing the stories behind the objects we collect and/or decide to wear. So my inspiration can range from historical artefacts to the homeware found in my parents house.

What is your workshop luxury?

B – This winter, to have the heating on while working feels like pure luxury.

R – Agreed with Birgit, it is very cold in the workshop! Coffee and an almond croissant feels like quite a luxury too – simple pleasures.

Your favourite studio lunch?

B – I have a great Korean place near me, so would have to say a vegan bibimbap.

R – Theo’s in Elephant and Castle do a pizza sandwich on weekday lunchtimes for £5 and it’s… (chef’s kiss).

Best spot in the British Isles?

R – Last summer I visited Lynmouth in North Devon and that was stunning. 

B – Anywhere in the mountains or hills.

What do you find challenging about being a creative?

R – Structure! I get carried away with making and being strict with myself to leave time for admin, marketing etc can be hard. Every year I push myself to be a little more structured with my schedule and it’s helping, definitely.

B – The marketing! It takes so much time and the best techniques seem to be constantly changing.

What would you like to learn next?

B – I would love to learn more about (horn) inlay, but I am also trying to expand my knowledge on stone setting and specifically how to create wax models for stone setting.

R – Same for me, I’ve started making wax models for stone setting but would like to build a deeper understanding of how to bring light into the setting and how to combine CAD with wax building. 

How do you let your hair down?

R – I would love to give you a juicer answer but in the winter I don’t feel much like going out, so probably just dinner with friends or a very muddy walk in the woods somewhere. 

B – I love hot pilates, and I escape to a bit of nature whenever I can.

What are you listening to at the moment?

R – Margo Guryan, Take a Picture album. 

B – I currently have Olivia Dean’s Jazz Cafe video on repeat, and I am also listening to the audio book Priestdaddy by Patricia Lockwood. 

What makes you feel well chuffed?

R – Making pancakes with maple syrup and bacon on a sunday morning.

B – Being with friends and having good food together.

What is your fave recipe?

R – I was recently recommended the Pasta Evangelist’s Beef Shin Ragu by a woman at the local butcher’s and I am a convert, it’s hearty and perfect for winter.

B – Oh don’t think I can pick one, as I love cooking and delving into cookbooks. My favourites are by Ottolenghi, Diana Henry, Rukmini Iyer and Alice Waters.

Who is your biggest inspiration?

R – Pablo Picasso’s ceramics. 

B – So many people. From family and friends to creatives such as Eny Lee Parker.

What is your fave item on The Chuffed Store?

R – Yetton Balaclavas look perfect for all this cold weather. 

B – Love Cecilia Bicknell’s Handmade Candlestick.

Spring, summer, autumn or winter? 

B – The change of the seasons, I love that moment when you can feel another season is coming.

R – Spring or Autumn.

Question from our last Meet the Maker: How did you get going in making what you make?

Great question! Birgit was at her family home in the Netherlands during lockdown and came across 10 sheets of horn from Highland Cows that she had purchased several years before from a closing-down factory in Scotland. She approached me via email about the possibility of combining horn with metal, and we began a very open exchange of images. After many months, we loved this collection of images that had emerged from our process and decided to see how we could create jewellery from the shapes, themes and process of moving an idea back and forth that inspired us. We paired discs of horn with silver linework, and have been working in a similar way since.

And, lastly, one question you would like us to ask the next meet the maker….? 

What does your day as a maker look like? How do you develop or work towards a project?