An interview and fashion editorial with The Rogue + The Wolf

The designers behind accessory label The Rogue + The Wolf are as intriguing and enigmatic as their name implies. Eloise H.R. and Michael W. say they are tech and knowledge junkies. Their collaborations are a labor of love and innovation. The duo use 3D printing technology to craft all of their pieces. Their aesthetic is original yet versatile. Think stunning stackable rings and cheeky animal inspired pieces that will have people doing a double take. I just had to try on their Chase Ring when I spotted it on the hand of our fashion editor, Tasha Farrington, one night. The smooth, lightweight metal and sleek design are just some of the trademarks of their covetable wares. The Fair|Feral collection shot for this feature included striking pieces, so understated in their dark aesthetic. The darkness of the pieces is juxtaposed by an element of whimsy. When it comes to these England-based designers, the charm isn’t limited to their jewelry. Michael says the two are such close collaborators that they finish each other’s sentences in real time. True to form, our interview questions were answered collaboratively.

interview by : Reem Jazar
photographer : Sarah Thomson
creative director : Pretty Deadly Stylz
fashion stylist : Pretty Deadly Stylz
makeup artist : Larissa Palaszczuk of Blonde Moxie Makeup
hair stylist : Larissa Palaszczuk of Blonde Moxie Makeup
nail stylist : Pretty Deadly Stylz
model : Bre Poisonne

What is the inspiration behind the name of your brand?
Eloise H.R. & Michael W. : Telling stories is something we love doing. This somehow seeps out in everything we do, from hobbies and pastimes, to work and creativity. In this case the title of the story comes before the story is fully written. Us storytellers are weird like that sometimes. The Rogue + The Wolf speaks of wild and untamed things, of living on the fringe and commanding your own fate. Stealing hearts and leading the pack. And looking smashingly good doing it.

How would you describe your aesthetic?
EHR & MW : We have many and varied hobbies, we like spreading our claws everywhere. We are geeky, technical, and methodical while enjoying glorious bouts of escapism and daydreaming. Somewhere between the extremes we find inspiration. There is plenty of love for the natural world but with a practical urbanity, our work is vibrant with an edge. We sometimes joke that we are “woodland punk”, but have no idea what that means.

When did you both start working together and how did you come to the decision to launch The Rogue + The Wolf?
EHR & MW : We were both working together just before The Rogue + The Wolf, Eloise assimilated Michael into her online art business to help run things. One fateful day about two and a half years ago, while devouring tech articles as usual, we realized that 3D printing had just matured enough to offer retail-ready products. We only had to learn to design in 3D and push new technologies to uncharted territories. We love a challenge. It took us four months to start selling our first designs online, and we are now one of only a handful of design brands that exclusively use 3D printing to realize their designs.

When did you decide to incorporate 3D printing in your design process? What kind of materials do you work with?
EHR & MW : The decision from the start was to ignore all established manufacturing methods and dive into the lasers and magic of 3D printing. So we built the brand and our whole design process from the ground up specifically for 3D printing. We currently work with silver, steel, and plastic. 3D printing technologies are advancing pretty damn fast and we will be evolving with them. We have already started playing around with other metals as well as pottery. If it can be printed, we want to know how far we can push it!

AUXILIARY ONLINE CONTENT
[ additional images not seen in the February/March 2014 Issue ]