When Monique Péan moved to New York after graduating from the University of Pennsylvania she pursued a career in finance, working as an analyst at Goldman Sachs & Co. Her sister’s untimely death at age 16 spurred Péan to change her career path. She wanted to make a difference in the world through fashion, art, and philanthropy, so she founded her eponymous jewelry label in 2006 and the Vanessa Péan Foundation, which raises scholarship money for Haiti’s underprivileged youth. Three years later, Péan won the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Award, and in 2010 Forbes named her “One to Watch” in its 40 Under 40 issue. ARTINFO caught up with the jewelry designer during her September 12 fashion week presentation to ask about her spring collection “K’atun” — named for a unit in time in the Mayan calendar; her use of sustainable materials; and the inspiration she found in artist Olafur Eliasson.

So what’s the collection about?

I traveled to Guatemala. I’ve been really inspired by Mayan architecture and also by Olafur Eliasson. I wanted to play with graphic designs, linear designs, and I took these two photographs that you see on either side of the wall while I was in Guatemala. I was really inspired by the linear movement and wanted to incorporate that into the designs. I’ve used my signature materials – fossilized wooly mammoth and fossilized walrus ivory – and tried to make it look like the pieces are machine made when they’re actually handmade to really keep that linear graphic element.

What was it like to work with fossil?

I’ve always used fossilized wooly mammoth and fossilized walrus ivory, but I’ve never used fossilized dinosaur bone or fossilized jade before. It’s been really exciting to find material that’s from the Jurassic period and 160 million years old.

What made you want to use those materials?

I’ve always wanted to incorporate sustainability in the collection so I wanted to use pieces that are fossilized, knowing that I’m not harming the environment in any way by incorporating them into the collection. The wooly mammoth and the walrus ivory are just so fascinating, and I thought I would push myself to find other materials, and that’s when I discovered the dinosaur bone as well as the jade. It’s fascinating because in Guatemala there is still volcanic activity so tectonic plates are moving and jade is literally coming to the surface.

Could you describe the woman who you had in mind when you designed this collection?

The woman is very strong, very interested in art, in wearable art. There’s a lot of artistic references within the collection, and I really thought of Olafur Eliasson’s work when I was designing. And I think that a lot of these pieces can be translated from day to evening, which is nice.

What were the biggest challenges when designing the collection?

The biggest challenge was really trying to create a collection of over 120 pieces in just eight months. It’s a lot of work to be able to get all the pieces together, and we source all over the world, so we’re working with artisans in Guatemala, artisans in the Arctic Circle, and trying to bring them all together. But it’s really nice to work with artists locally and learn about their art and culture and incorporate that into my designs.

How do you go about finding the artisans?

You do a lot of research. We’ve been working in Guatemala for over two years, so it takes us a lot of time. We visit the artisans, we look at the sustainability behind their work, and make sure it not only speaks to our ethos in terms of the design aesthetic and in terms of their craftsmanship, but also in terms of their commitment to sustainability.

What’s your relationship to Guatemala?

Each year I go to a distinct country that I’ve never been to before. I really just wanted to create a collection based around sustainability and based around indigenous art and culture, and wanted to create a collection where I combine my love of art, business, philanthropy, and craftsmanship. Last year I went to Peru and this year I went to Guatemala. I don’t know where I’ll be going next, but I’m always looking for unique materials to incorporate.

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