Jewellery for those who dare

Designer Þórunn Heba Bjarnadóttir designs show stopping jewellery for her label Habe by Hebe. The pieces are laden with goth and punk influences and have notably been worn by Icelandic band Kælan mikla and black metal artist Wormlust.

"I've always gone by my second name, Heba," Bjarnadóttir explains. "Habe is like a warped or mirrored version of me and my name."

Bjarnadóttir studied design at Tækniskólinn, the technical college in Reykjavik. She started making jewellery when a friend was looking for a chain for her hair. "I just started trying things out and now I mostly make chokers, body chains and hair chains using metal and leather." Heavily influenced by punk rock as a teenager, Bjarnadóttir injects large doses of her own character into her designs.

"I guess my personality is very large and dramatic," she laughs. "I was listening to my dad's Clash and Sex Pistols albums as a child and was pretty young when I started wearing a Ramones T-shirt. When I was thirteen I used to wear my dad's huge, torn, baggy jeans continuously searching for the perfect leather jacket.  I didn't want people to notice me but at the same time a kind of force built up inside me, I wanted people to know that I didn't care what they thought of me.  The punk scene is full of chains and leather. People had such an attitude during that time. Everything back then was handmade, or handsewn and I'm totally influenced by that period. I'm one of those people who firmly believe that they existed in a previous life."

Bjarnadóttir thinks that the goth look has been fashionable for a while. "People are embracing black eyeliner and black lipstick. To be honest, I don't think it's a fashion that's going away anytime soon. It was nice to see goth becoming hip a few years back and I'm sure that a few lost kids found themselves in that style, which is lovely. It's a style which I associate with intellect. My jewellery is for those who dare and  those who want."

Among those who dare and want are Icelandic band Kælan mikla, a dark wave ensemble comprised of three women whose debut album has received great reviews.

"I'm really lucky to have been able to work with Kælan mikla, they're the perfect poster children for my designs. I've also done a range for make up artist Birna Magg, she's right up my alley with her tastes in things."

For the time being, orders can only be made online through the Facebook page Habe by Heba. "I have no idea what the future plans for the jewellery range are. All I know is that I'm never going to stop making jewellery, or art. Some of my jewellery have become art, and have no function except an aesthetic one. Right now I've started studying anthropology at the University of Iceland which will no doubt have an influence on my work.

For orders visit Habe by Hebe HERE.