PI People: Camille Yolaine Write & Founder of Yolaine Paris
We are so excited to have our first ever collaboration with you and we’d love all of our lovely PI People to learn a little more about you.

Tell us a little about your background, where are you from, where do you live and what do you do? 
I’m a freelance copywriter and storyteller, and I live in Paris, which is such a brilliant place for creating stories, staying inspired, and meeting interesting people. I come from Alsace, a pretty region in the east of France, and as I long as I can remember I always loved to write stories and longed to live in Paris.

 

We were really drawn to you because of your effortless Parisian style and your natural look. What was it that made you want to collaborate with us?
First of all, thank you for the compliment! What I enjoyed about PI London is the fact that it gives a new life to vintage jewellery. Vintage has become so important in my life over the last few years. I used to consume much less responsibly and started realising how bad that was at so many levels. And also, vintage pieces have a story, and a vibe that I find so much more interesting than new stuff. 

 

How would you describe your style?
It’s funny because I don’t really think I have a specific style. I guess my style is between chic and comfy, and definitely vintage inspired.  

 

Favourite style icon?
I’ve always been a deep admirer of all these gorgeous women in vintage movies. B.B in And God created woman, Romy Schneider in La Piscine, Catherine Deneuve in Jacques Demy’s musicals (my favourites!)... The way they move, talk, and act is utterly fascinating. 

 

What is your favourite style of jewellery?
I’m either into really simple jewellery, or into pieces that look like family heirlooms and I guess vintage pieces with a strong historic vibe (like Victorian pieces) make me feel like a princess when I wear them. They speak to the little girl inside me. 

 

Do you have a favourite antique or vintage piece?
It might sound stupid, but I recently found an old painting at a brocante, and I fell in love with it even if it’s clearly not a very special one. It’s an amateur work of art, it was 10 euros, and you can see the painter’s mistakes sometimes, but I simply adore it. I actually think I love it that much more because it’s not perfect. 

 

Do you have a piece of jewellery that is really special to you? If yes, what makes it special?
My boyfriend got me a necklace for my birthday two years ago and I’ve worn it almost everyday ever since. It is really simple, a gold medal with small engraved stars. I like the fact that it’s timeless and can be worn with everything.

 

Which of our PI London pieces in your collection is your favourite and why?
I love the heart locket because it looks like it was taken straight from a Jane Austen novel. But the sapphire ring made me feel like some kind of French duchess.

 

You kindly did a painting for us to go on our packaging, have you always painted? What do you like about painting?

Well, saying that I’ve always painted would be exaggerated, it’s kind of a on and off thing for me, but what I do know is that I’ve always loved to use my imagination. As I grew older, writing became my favourite -and my job- and I didn’t paint for a long time. It was only two years ago that I bought some painting accessories on a whim and decided I’d go back at it again.

 

Favourite part about living in Paris?
The beauty, the liveliness, the people, the colours, the smells… When I was a teenager I was so obsessed with Paris from my little provincial town. I still fall in love with it every day, for many different reasons. I mean, every single corner looks like a postcard, it’s crazy. And the fact that each arrondissement has its own personality. It never stops fascinating me.