about the brand
the discipline of freedom
JISU aims to offer jewelry that appears as a coherent paradox, deliberately mixing labels that are conventionally viewed as counter to one another. Labels such as masculine x feminine, sensual x religious, fact x fiction, eastern x western, are mixed in order to disintegrate the boundaries between them. The intent behind this disintegration is to subtly and playfully subvert, while simultaneously recognizing that this intent is paradoxical.
The paradox arises as freedom through subversion is contingent on the very labels and structures one seeks to subvert – without labels such as “masculine” or “feminine,” we could not begin a discussion on a concept like "gender," much less subvert it.
Welcoming the paradox of finding one's own way, we deconstruct social concepts and labels – questioning them, understanding how we’re shaped by them, and deciding what we buy into and do not – an exercise in the discipline of freedom.
about the designer
JISU was established by Jisu in New York City.
With disparate geographic origins and a trajectory that diverges from the expected path of a designer, Jisu's background includes ties to the West Coast seaside, the stricter conformism of East Coast suburbia, the distinct yet collectivist culture of Seoul, a decision to attend Harvard Law School instead of a design school, and a subsequent transition into tech and digital design — all culminating in the establishment of JISU.
the design process
With all of our jewelry created in New York, JISU's process represents a fusion of technology and tradition. JISU works with a caster with a longstanding history of creating for global luxury brands to produce our jewelry at the highest quality.
Designs are sustainably developed with innovative technologies and brought to life through traditional lost-wax casting methods, which entails creating a wax of the jewelry, which is then used to create a mold, which is then used to produce the final piece. Our jewelry is made to order as the fine detailing of the designs means each mold can be used only once. Each piece is hand polished with multiple finishing techniques that were carefully chosen to suit the details of each design.