Odissea Takes Over Paris
Summer 2022, Christine Jiang went to Paris to embark an experience she had never done before. Striving to capture moments in Paris through her lens along her team, she created this story of odissea around the city of beauty, Paris. Her shoot took place all over, but mainly at the grandiose Louvre.
By Christine Jiang
I lived in Paris, back in 2016. I had still not started odissea, but looking back it was part of the beginning of the journey.
This experience has a huge influence in who I am and what I do now. Even tho many years have gone by, I still remember how it felt walking down the streets - the emotions, the noises, the air, the feelings, they were all something I had never experienced before. The monochromatic gloomy streets made me nostalgic, but in them I found a huge feeling of grandeur. Everything about Paris makes it seem like a dream. Knowing the history, art and beauty found within the most mundane details makes it hard to grasp.
I fell in love with it, and I fell in love for the first time as well. It is a place where I have fond memories of a young and wandering soul, and this will always make it home.
When Christine told me she was going to explore Paris for a shoot, I knew that Odissea had to be part of it. After our last collaboration, Ocean Goddess, I knew she was someone who would capture not only the jewelry but she would create a story around it. And here it is!
“Odissea taking over Paris”
CJ: “ I wasn’t sure what to expect when I arrived in Paris. I had my camera and odissea jewelry with me, so I was sure I’d find a spark of inspiration somewhere in the city of lights. During the first few days, as I wandered street after street - seeing the romantic architecture and the sun set over the sleepy Seine river sparked my imagination of possibilities.
I played tourist for a few days while scouting locations - The Eiffel Tower, The Opera Garnier, Arc de Triomphe, Notre Dame - they all looked exactly as I had imagined. What took me by surprise, however, was The Louvre. Its sheer size, set against the grandeur of a Renaissance Palace, was in itself an artistic feat unlike anything I had ever seen. Standing there gazing at the top of the pyramid made me feel small yet energized, and I felt a spark - this was the place.
On the day of the shoot, we arrived on location just before sun down. Crowds lined up for the museum filled the Louvre’s courtyard as we scoured the space for the perfect spot. Around 20:40 (the sun sets late in Parisian summer) the light became soft and subtle, which was just what I had hoped for. We ventured towards the NW corner of the courtyard, away from the swarms of people, and violà - the perfect spot - a long, graceful corridor with high arched ceilings. Strangely, there were no crowds and Clèmence stepped into the middle of the hallway, wearing odissea. The jewelry brought a sparkle to the museum’s massive facade, as we played with poses and experimented with locations.
The vision I’d imagined in my head unfolded in front of us: sophisticated, elegant, bold baubles of silver, enveloped by an amazing panorama of art and history.
Looking at the pictures now, while I am back in New York, they remind me of the feelings I felt while shooting that day. The energy - working with an international team, bridging the modern with the historic, in a place that has housed some of the most significant works of art known to man - fills my soul. It is a universal feeling I know many creatives strive for; it's what keeps us going. We may have only been there for a split-second relative to the Louvre’s extraordinary lifetime, but this feeling is what lasts.
À Tout, Parigi!
XX
ocean goddess
Ocean Goddess is a collaboration with Christine Jiang. Our nekyia collection is best described to be unique and one of a kind. In this story Alexandra represents Venus, the goddess of love and beauty portraying the essence of the collection.
Shot in Tulum, Mexico April 2022
Odissea’s identity was born in 2019, inspired by greek mythology. If you are familiar with the story behind the brand - Odissea is named after The Odyssey, Homer’s poem - as he described life as “a voyage marked by changes of fortune”. At this time of my life I was beginning my own journey living abroad, persuing my dreams, transitioning into a more mature self and trying to understand my place on earth better - this phrase gave me a lot of meaning.
As I studied more about greek mythology, I found meanings that conveyed what my creations represent. For instance, Nekyia in ancient greek means “a rite by which ghosts are called up and questioned about the future." The pieces in this collection are one of a kind and unique, made with shells, pearls and semi precious stones which makes them an amulet to keep during your life’s journey.
Ocean Goddess is the newest collaboration of Odissea with photographer Christine Jiang. Alexandra portrays Venus; the goddess of love and beauty. Capturing the innocence and playfulness, these pictures represent our Nekyas collection pure essence - femininity, playfulness and sexiness.
With all the natural elements the pieces are made with, they blend in with the ocean and surroundings - making us travel to this moment of bliss.
The ever changing expression of our pieces represents change as a path for beauty.
Furthermore, it is important to remind ourselves that there’s a story behind us all.