Anjali Cloué and her HARPO jewels collection

English translation of the first interview we made with our fantastic customers : we present you here Anjali Cloue's incredible HARPO jewelry collection!

our collections

Hello Anjali, can you introduce yourself and tell us about your style?

My name is Anjali Cloué. I organize events that bring together crafts and social matters. I've traveled a lot for my work, and so have had the chance to meet many different craftsmen and craftswomen, from Ireland (my home country) to Africa, Asia and the US.

My projects always have a social background, which has enabled me to meet some great people, notably on the Navajo Reservation in Shonto, Arizona, such as artist Chip Thomas (Jetsonorama), a doctor and artist who works for young Navajo people by guiding them towards artistic projects. He is known for his giant portraits of the inhabitants living around the Reservation and other surrounding areas.

And I'm passionate about studying natural dye textiles. Whether it's kimonos, indigo pieces... antique fabrics are my passion.

As for my style, I would say: classic (jeans/tight shirt) with always a vintage garment (a beautiful vest from the Ortega factory in New Mexico, a Serape jacket from an old Ralph Lauren collection, designed in the US at the time) or a handmade piece I've come across on a trip, and of course my Native jewelry, which is always with me!

Can you tell us more about your relationship with Natives jewelry and HARPO?

I have a beautiful history with Harpo because I discovered it through my mother, who had several Harpo pieces. The blue color of the turquoise stone made me dream, as did the indigo fabrics she collected.

I don't wear much jewelry and always wear Native American jewels. At first, I think I went for what caught my eye, but over time I began to have an affinity for certain artists: for example the Navajo artist Albert Jake, who works silver with rather rough stones, or the artist Lena Platero, who works silver with great finesse to create magnificent feathers, bracelets, rings and brooches. To name just two, but there are others.

So now I love being able to support these artists.

What makes HARPO's jewels special to your eyes?

They speak to me for several reasons. Firstly, the energy that emanates from the jewelry.

Native peoples used to communicate through their jewelry because there was no written language, so it was an essential means of passing on information. I think you can feel this energy in the jewelry.

I have a special affinity for these stones and for the fact Natives don't try to make them too artificial... whereas often we, Europeans, will denature things or overexploit them, for example with diamonds, stones that are almost 'too worked'.

Natives have a deep respect for the natural material, so they only seek to polish or sand it, to embellish it without too much artifice.

In the same spirit, they cultivate the land, without excess and always with a deep awareness of the environment. They were sensitive to the beauty that surrounded them and they were aware of its fragility. A good example that Europeans should have followed, so as not to over-cultivate these Plains lands and lead to the Dustbowl.

Can you tell us a little more about the HARPO jewels that are close to your heart?

What was your first HARPO jewel?

My mom's ring, which is in this photo, is a piece I wear quite often. She bought it from HARPO in the late '80s, and I think it's getting more and more beautiful as the years go by.

The first piece I gift myself with was a needlepoint Zuni cuff with turquoise stones. It's one of the piece I love the most and the one that has been like a companion on the road for me.

Around the same time, I had another bracelet made using the needlepoint technique, this time in coral. Both are beautiful bracelets made by Zuni artist Vera Halusewa, who is one of my favorite needlepoint artists.

I also really like these feathers by Lena Platero, I think it's very fine work, I wear the ring very often.

I like to wear several pieces of jewelry together, so I tend to wear a lot of rings with other pieces of jewelry. The silver beads are by another artist I really like, Elaine Tahe.

I also have a very fine collection of glass beads bracelets. They are Navajo and are much less common now, so I'm delighted to have them. There are all kinds of bead colors on a suede lining, and I think they're gorgeous! I use them to decorate my home and when I have a really nice gift to give someone, I offer this bracelet. For me, they're a bit like friendship bracelets or “good luck charms”. The most important people in my life all have a bracelet like this.

And every time my mother has a birthday, I give her a HARPO jewel. So she has a very nice collection! And that's in addition to all the HARPO clothes she also has. She has some wonderful pieces from the 70s and 80s, from certain New Mexico manufacturers like Ortega's Weaving. In fact, I brought home this HARPO vest, made from a stunning fabric. It dates back to the '90s, when the company made clothing. A friend of my mother's gave it to me for Christmas, and I had no idea she had HARPO pieces, so it was a nice surprise. I love it, I'm delighted to have it!

And what's your latest HARPO piece?

It's a bracelet by artist Albert Jake: beautiful work on silver with oxidized lines that give a nice contrast, as well as a gorgeous turquoise.

I like to pair it with other, finer Navajo bracelets by another artist, Elaine Tahe, whose work I particularly admire.

When people want to pleased me, they come here. For my 30th birthday, everyone came here to choose beautiful gifts, they knew they couldn't go wrong.

What new HARPO jewel are you dreaming of?

I'm looking for a ring or cuff with a beautiful Lapis stone!

Duly noted ;-). And if you had to describe HARPO to someone who had never been there before, what would you say?

First of all, I would say it's a magical place! It is a timeless showcase for Native craftsmanship in the broadest sense of the term with many brilliant artists!

Harpo has an exceptional selection of jewelry and objects featuring a large number of artists from the Southwest of the USA. As soon as I enter, I feel at peace floating in this universe of turquoise and other Native treasures!