Temporary Earrings By Keef Palas

An anarchic project spontaneously born in the summer of 2016 made of vacuum packed jewels to be consumed as soon as possible


  • Fridge still lifes by Paula Latimori

    Fridge still lifes by Paula Latimori

Last May, journalist Libby Banks of The New York Times introduced Claire O'Keefe and Eugenia Oliva jewelry work by saying «Diamonds can be forever, but one jewelry brand has aspirations in an entirely different direction». And if you have a look at their amazing and unusual collection, with vacuum packed earrings coming from immortelle flowers, oat plants, cattail plant, cotton flowers, magnolia leaves, olive branches, wheat ear, you can have a clear idea of what Claire and Eugenia means when they say «our jewels are not possessions to be kept but ephemeral and ironic.» Considering that their earrings' life lasts no more than three months (on their e-shop the message is clear: 'this is an ephemeral item to be consumer ASAP'), the 55 euros the pair is a good investment. We have reached the girls after the Hyères Festival, to learn more about their 'performance art'.

  • Claire and Eugenia portrait by Nacho Alegre

    Claire and Eugenia portrait by Nacho Alegre

How did the brand come to life?
Keef Palas has grown in a very collective way since many of the ideas we develop were conceived through conversations with our immediate environment. However, if you have to blame someone for starting this revolution, that would be us, Claire O’Keefe and Eugenia Oliva. The Project was born in a very natural and spontaneous way, by seeing the impact our earrings had on people, we realized they had something special. We started an Instagram account and did our first pop-up just as if we were selling lemonade. Since then fun and interesting opportunities haven’t stopped presenting themselves to us.

 How would you define jewelry- what does it mean to you?
Our jewels are ephemeral, or in other words: they last a specific period of time and that is our leitmotiv. We don’t change it, it’s our objection. In contrast to the short life of fast fashion, ruled by the restrictions of economic neoliberalism, Keef Palas ascribes her ephemeral aim to the laws of Nature.

  • Olive & cotton earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

    Olive & cotton earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

  • onion & cattail earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

    onion & cattail earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

  • Wheat & oat earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

    Wheat & oat earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

  • Chili & onion earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

    Chili & onion earrings - pic by Paula Latimori

Can you tell us about the logo and the typographic choice recalling Ancient Greece?
'Keef' comes from Claire’s surname, O’Keefe. 'Palas' arose from the Goddess Palas Atenea who in a battle against Poseidon for the possession of the city of Athens, offered an olive tree to its citizens. These considered her gift the best offering since they could nourish themselves with the olive tree but also sell its oil. Therefore, they named Atenea the patroness of the city of Athens. The surname of Eugenia is Oliva (olive).

 How would you define your communication language?
Our communication language is based on spontaneity, humor and total freedom.

 What about your experience at the 33rd Hyères International Festival of Fashion and Photography, as finalists of the accessories prize?
Hyères is one of those vital experiences that you cannot describe with words. It was not just a marvelous professional opportunity, we felt very blessed on the personal level as well.
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