Isabella Lalonde | Awakening Issue

Isabella Lalonde enjoys growing and foraging mushrooms, practicing herbal medicine, glass smithing on the weekends and documenting her art and life. Practices that started as isolative hobbies soon became part of a solid career. Now, Beepy Bella is the jewelry line for all the cool kids and their favorite celebrities, like Billie Eilish. Lalonde marks her presence in the fashion industry with a brand which comes to life through experimentation and delivery of colors, textures and materials as if derived from that of a magical fantasy.

Why did you choose to focus your brand on accessories?

I wanted to create objects that frame the face. It’s not the only goal I have with dressing my audience though. The face is the best place to start for me. Once I understand how to frame it perfectly, I will move onto studying dressing other parts of the body.
I am consciously taking a slow burn approach to my design work, as I want to examine every single possibility of the outcome of my work before I produce it.

Where does the name of Beepy Bella come from?

Beepy was born because I was saying that instead of “Sleepy” one early early morning at 4am.
The name translated from my inner memories is actually “Sleepy Bella” which falls in line with the fairytale princess dreamland I first aspired to create with my brand.

How was your experience at The Parsons School of Design ?

I think school is what you make of it. I knew I was an artist from a very young age, so it was always my dream to attend an primarily arts-focused school.
Going to the Fine Arts program at Parsons finally allowed me to accomplish that dream. It was the first time where I ever felt seen in my education, so for that I am eternally grateful for being able to have a space to prioritize my artist brain.

I still miss it. Senior Year, we got our own studio spaces (which was a blessing to have in NYC). I miss the world I created there. I painted my floors red, hung fabric on the ceilings, grew mushrooms, and fell in love in that studio space.

Is there any particular form of art that inspires your approach to designing accessories?

Movies. I “world-build” when it comes to creating my art, so movies are the easiest recipe to follow to create a custom universe.
People who know me know that I especially love Tim Burton’s kingdom. I think the way he built his world is very impactful.

How long did it take until celebrities like Billie Elish started to add your pieces to their wardrobe?

It happened right away. That’s why my journey is so magical. I was just an artist, like every other artist, in this world making their art.
I used to work at Vogue, it was my first job, and they covered the brand in a solo feature before I barely had my website up.

What I was making at the time was completely new. Artists like Dua Lipa and it-girls like Bella Hadid started reaching out for pieces after that launched.

Can you detail your creative process for designing your jewelry pieces ?

I think it’s quite ordinary and mundane. It’s what you would perhaps expect, or not. I create because I seek.
I create because I feel lonely or sad, and that must turn into art. My work is extremely emotional. Whether or not others know it.

What got you interested in the world of fashion ?

Self expression is the easiest creative exercise for an artist to practice on a daily basis. You have to get dressed. Every day.
I used to play with clothing as if it were a costume, but one that allowed my inner child to run free. Now, I dress for a different creative approach.
Hence, the art of dressing innately tied to your creative subconscious, and that’s why I respect it.

Where do you think the future of fashion is going?

I think it is very easy to look at all the downsides of the business of fashion currently.
Creative geniuses get their work stolen, or go nameless in designing for others.
There’s a lot that can go wrong if you pin your dreams on winning as an individual in this scary industry. But that’s the risk that any creatives take when they try to enter their respective fields. So the positive to that statement is the ones who do try, who have the guts to take the risk, are soldiers for the work.
I think there is a lot of courage from the underground and emerging scene of designers in fashion. I think we are the ones who are shaping the industry.

How do you incorporate elements of fantasy into your work?

A lot of my work is very childish in nature. It’s as unserious as it is serious.
Paradoxes are a crucial element to the strategy of my design work, as I like to create emotional responses from my audience. Humor is a way that I incorporate fantasy into my work. It allows people to loosen up and embrace the absurdity of some of the things I present them with. And that emotional impact is a very integral process of my art, as I want to use it to help others heal from disturbances in their lives – even if it’s just for a split second.