Words by Summer Eldemire, Photos by Luca Khouri—
Montego Bay boy turned New York gentleman Matthew Harris, aka Mateo Bijoux, has quickly built his jewelry line by the same name into a recognizable brand. Mateo Bijoux is best-known for the zipper necklace which started his collection—and was notoriously spotted on Rihanna. It’s since been seen in W, Vogue and Instyle magazines and is sold in department stores Macys and Nordstrom.
Witty, honest and open, Matthew has a sharp sense of humor, poking fun at the fashion world of which he is a part—as well as himself—when we meet at his sunlit studio on New York’s Upper West Side on a casual rainy morning. “These Jeans are Saint Laurent, thats why they have the emaciated, rock and roll vibe,” he says, adding, “I was a club kid at some point, every Jamaican is”
His jewelry reflects that sharp sense of humor: He takes tools such as zips and scissors that are meant to be useful and makes them into non-functioning, but beautiful, adornments. “The moment you see a tool you recognize, that’s us,” he says.
He moves full throttle inside his studio, talking about “church shoes,” insisting I eat my macaroons and giving us a sneak preview into his future collection which, as expected, is even better than the previous. All without once sitting on the couch for longer than 30 seconds. I don’t see this hurricane slowing down anytime soon.
Click here to read Summer Eldemire’s Q+A with Matthew “Mateo Bijoux” Harris.