Frey Wille
Frey Wille GmbH & Co KG, originally branded as Michaela Frey Emailmanufaktur, is an enamel jewellery manufacturer based in Vienna, Austria founded in 1951 by designer Michaela Frey. The label is known for its hand decorated designs that are based on the works of 19th and 20th century artists. Next to its headquarters in Vienna, the company operates 86 shops worldwide.[1] The former name of the company was "Michaela Frey Emaillemanufaktur".
 | |
| Type | Privately held, GmbH |
|---|---|
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1951 |
| Founder | Michaela Frey |
| Headquarters | Gumpendorferstraße 81, A-1060, , |
Area served | Worldwide |
| Products | Jewellery, Fashion accessory |
Number of employees | ~500 |
| Website | shop.freywille.com |
History
The original Michaela Frey style of enamel ornamentation and fire enamel techniques was created in the 1960s by Viennese designer and compay founder Michaela Frey who refined the technique of fine enameling over several decades.
Current operations
As of today, Frey Wille (originally Michaela Frey) operates more than 70 boutiques in 30 countries on 4 continents. The company employs more than 300 employees, a large part of them in Vienna.[2] The company still opens various stores in new cities they were not previously present in, most notably in Singapore in the luxury hotel Marina Bay Sands in 2012. Other major cities in which the company has several boutiques are Moscow, Paris, Bogotá, Beijing, Hong Kong, Dubai and its city of origin, Vienna.
Michaela Frey was started as a workshop dedicated to enamel objets d'art and jewellery. Recently, the company added watches to its product line, especially a gold watch line. Beside jewellery and watches, the company has now also expanded into accessories such as scarfs, handbags, belts, ties, cuff links and fine pens.
The company has its factory and manufacturing official unit in Wien.[3]
Product range and designs
The Michaela Frey collections (now Frey Wille) distinguish themselves through the use of colorful motifs and gold. They are either designed with original ideas of the company's artists, such as the "Ode to Joy of Life" collection,[4] or by using motifs from influential artists or mythology. The company has concentrated on motifs from artists of the 19th and 20th century, especially Austrian painters in several product collections. Among them are Gustav Klimt, one of the most important Austrian painters of the turn of the 20th century. For instance, Klimt's painting Adele Bloch-Bauer which sold for USD 135 million in 2006 was used for a whole collection of jewelry.
Among other artists whose styles are used by Frey Wille in the creation of their product collection are, most notably, Austrian artist Friedensreich Hundertwasser, one of the founders of impressionism Claude Monet, and Czech artist Alphonse Mucha, the father of Art Nouveau.
Part of the reason for deciding to create collections inspired by well-known artist was that in the 1990s the Claude Monet Foundation approached the company and asked them to pay homage to the artist by creating a collection inspired by him. Thereafter, a collection was created for the Victoria and Albert Museum in London based on works by William Morris.[5]
References
- "About Frey Wille". free-wille.com. Retrieved 2011-11-28.
- "FreyWille opens its first boutique in Sofia". Advantage Austria. Retrieved 2011-11-30.
- Frey Wille - Dubai, Jewellery Dubai, retrieved 2011-11-30
- Ode to Joy of Life at FreeWille
- "An Interview with Dr. Friedrich Wille". leadermag. Retrieved 2011-11-30.