An interview with Percy Lau, creator of unique mini body parts jewellery

8^th July 2012

Louise Elsom

Louise Elsom

8 July 2012

Percy Lau is a second year student studying BA Jewellery Design in Central Saint Martins College of Arts. She started her collection with the Third Little Ear earrings, which seem to fade so seamlessly when you put them, looking like miniature lobe-size mutations. If you are looking for eye-catching pieces of jewellery that is truly unique, then this is the collection for you!

We had a quick chat with Percy, to find out more about her amazing designs and where she gets her inspiration.

What materials do you use in your collections?

For this body parts collection, I use a type of clay called super sculpey and they become hard after baking. I made a shape for each item first, then casted a mould from the originals. Now I use the mould to shape the clay first, and perfect each piece manually.

Tell us about the design process from beginning to end?

It’s hard to say… My inspirations come to me in a split second and if I like it, I make it! I hardly have any development process. I base my designs on “having a laugh”, so that might be a reason why I come up with weird things!

What is the inspiration behind your designs?

I was talking with some friends about how people need to learn to listen to others more, so I made a metal ear brooch, meaning “an extra ear to help us listen”. The idea expanded to what I have now.

The relationship we have with our jewellery is very different from the relationship we have with our clothes. Why do you think that is?

Clothes have a very strong sense of being in the trend. There are numerous fashion shows every season, so if you wear clothes that aren’t from this season, it’s easy to tell. With jewellery, it’s different. Most people can’t tell which exact season your jewellery piece was designed.

Each piece makes a great statement – what kinds of women wear your jewellery?

I don’t think my jewellery has strong restriction for gender – I have both males and females buying my products. As mentioned above, I base my designs on humour. I have seen a lot of comments saying they think this collection is “gross”, so I guess the kind of people who wear my jewellery are the kind that has the same sense of humour as me.

Do you have a favourite piece from the collection?

I guess it would be the Third Little Ear. After all, it was the first design I made, and it was the most original design that developed into what I have now.

Finally, what’s next for you?

I am thinking of designing new products, but because my final year at college is coming up, most of next year will probably be focused on academic works.

Percy sells her pieces online through her Etsy store and every Sunday she is at Up Market in London. You can choose from many designs, all based on mini body parts, including collar clips shaped like tiny ears, a few pieces that look like mouths and even a ring that makes it look like your finger is growing an 11th finger out of itself!

Visit Percy Lau’s website here and you will find even weirder and wackier designs. There is one piece where coffee spills into a person’s ear and out the other side, a bracelet made out of tiny Mao wearing lipstick, and a creepy pair of dentures where the teeth are replaced with acrylic nails. This girl certainly knows how to make people sit up and pay attention!

Louise Elsom