STUDIO VISIT WITH
        PILAR DO RIO




JAN 30, 2024

ENGLISH / PORTUGUÊS


Tucked away behind boxes filled with dozens of beads in her Lisbon studio, Pilar do Rio takes her eponymous accessories brand places she never imagined. Born in Lagos, the Fashion Design graduate reconnected with her childhood hobby of crafting personalized jewellery using beads and pearls when constrained to stay home during the pandemic. Pilar do Rio’s designs evoke a nostalgic feeling of a childhood by the sea and hot summer nights.






1. Coming from a Fashion Design background, how did your interest designing jewellery start?

I’ve always made jewellery and accessories for myself, ever since I was a child. When Covid hit, I moved back to Portugal to my childhood home, where I had dozens of beads and little funky pieces of when I was younger. Out of boredom, I started playing around with the things I had and making accessories for myself. I posted a couple of pictures on Instagram wearing the pieces that I had made, and people started asking if I was selling them. So I started making personalised orders and soon my customer base grew significantly without me really expecting it.  

It was never my intention to have my own brand. My experience working in the fashion industry quickly made me realize that the market is oversaturated. There are too many brands producing too many things, and I always felt that if I started my own business, it would inevitably be ‘just another brand’. Besides, I thought I would rather be a designer for an already established fashion house than having to worry about the logistics and financial troubles you have to deal when you own a business.





It all happened very naturally. Looking back now, I think what worked out so well for me was the fact that jewellery is easier to produce than clothing. I’m very impatient by nature, and I get much quicker results crafting personalised jewellery compared to designing and producing clothes. Besides, I can do it all on my own from the comfort of my studio. Another aspect that worked quite well was the fact that jewellery is more affordable than clothing, especially when it comes to designer pieces. I always knew that starting a business in Portugal, the market would be quite limiting. Generally, people don’t have a lot of disposable income - nor the education, nor the habit - to invest in designer pieces. So, accessories are something that is financially more accessible for the national public.


2. Do you see yourself exploring beyond accessories and incorporating the clothing into your brand?

I don’t have any plans to do so at the moment, but I’m always open to see where my creativity takes me. I think a possible way to explore beyond designing jewellery would be perhaps through a collaboration with another brand or artist. I like to be open-minded in the way that I work and I think collaborations are a great way to be challenged.

In my opinion, jewellery and clothing are very much connected, they can mutually inspire each other. I have experimented before making garments with the materials and methods I use for accessories. For the collection I presented in 2020 for Sangue Novo (Lisbon Fashion Week’s program for upcoming designers), I made a top and a belt out of beads. I love the challenge of making an extravagant piece and turning it into something wearable for everyday life. However, what has held me back from experimenting with designing clothing again is primarily the fact that my work requires a very time-consuming manual production. Because I work mostly on my own, it doesn’t make sense for me right now to stop the production of accessories - which is my way of revenue - to have the time to design clothes.





3. How has growing up by the sea influenced your creative practice?

My work is definitely a homage to my southern roots. I’ve always been a beach town girl at heart. People from Lagos, where I am from, are very relaxed in the way they dress, always wearing swimwear everywhere. I remember going to school in a bikini and flip-flops, and heading straight to the beach afterwards. At the same time, there is also a big nightlife and party culture where I am from. I love this duality of relaxed beachwear with a more playful and fancy going out atire. And I love making pieces of jewellery that make you feel like a mermaid or a fairy.





4. Where do you draw inspiration from?

I believe we can find inspiration anywhere - in people, in the world, in life, in what evolves around us and in where we’re least expecting. This project started from the challenge of creating something through unconventional combinations, due to a global pandemic which made it harder to get new materials. But as this journey unfolds, I also find inspiration in my roots - the Algarve. Nature is, without a doubt, a constant reference in my work.



5. What is your favourite part of the process?

Experimenting and designing new pieces is definitely my favourite part. I would love to have the time to try something new every day, but production is very time-consuming. Since there is a high demand for specific styles, I end up spending a lot of time on repetitive work. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy that meticulous process of repetition, it's very meditative, but I end up not having a lot of time to try new things. That’s why I usually get so excited to collaborate with people, it makes me feel challenged and allows me to think outside the box. I’ve also been very lucky with the collaborations I’ve had so far, people trusted me and I’ve never felt limited creatively.








6. What have been your biggest challenges in starting your own brand?

It has been hard for me to balance the creative part of the business with the logistics and financial part. It’s way easier for me to objectively value someone else’s work than my own. I would love to have some guidance in this matter, mainly in negotiating budgets for collaborations and such. Besides, in a country like Portugal, where there’s a very clear limit of what people are able to give for designer pieces, it makes it very hard not to question my prices.


Another aspect that I’ve realized I need to get better at is acknowledging the fact that it would be beneficial for me, at this point, to hire someone to work with me on a regular basis. It’s something that I have been struggling with. Because I’m so used to working alone, it feels a strange inviting someone into my little bubble. But, of course, that’s something that I have to overcome.


7. What do you consider to be your biggest accomplishment so far?

Having my pieces featured in Vogue Portugal was a really special moment for me. Since I never had prospects of creating my own brand, I never imagined having my name featured in Vogue. It was surreal because Vogue is such a big deal, and it happened in the early stages of the project. Something else that still amazes me every day is sending out my work to every corner in the world. I never imagined people from so many places would know about and be interested in the things that I make.


8. Of all the pieces you’ve made, do you have a favourite one?

I’m very fond of the pieces I made in the very beginning. I always have this one necklace on my desk, which I made during the pandemic, that I constantly use as a source of inspiration. I made this necklace with random pieces I had at home at the time, which essentially were beads from a variety of old necklaces. For me, this necklace represents the beginning of my journey of experimenting with unconventional combinations of pieces, colours, and shapes - which I believe remains a big part of my brand’s identity.


9. What excites you about the future?

I hope to keep sharing my work with people around me. I long for a future full of exciting collaborations and I’d love to see more people wearing my pieces. It really makes me feel sure of the path I’m building for myself when I see artists that I admire wearing my designs. I also like to think of my project as more than just an accessory brand but as a creative platform where I embrace styling projects, photography, and creative direction. I hope to grow in that sense as well.





10. What’s you favourite object in your studio?

It’s so hard to choose just one! My studio is an (unhealthy) accumulation of objects that are very dear to me. I would have to say one of my pliers. I do appreciate a good plier.





CREDITS
PHOTGRAPHY & WORDS: MADALENA MATOS
ADDITIONAL IMAGES COURTESY OF PILAR DO RIO