About the Places

All the flowers and botanicals used in the "Inspired by Peace" collections are sourced from special places. Handpicked by me, they all come from places where war was once waged, but now peace reigns. Read more about specific places below.

The Battle of Arnhem and Market Garden

I’ve lived near Arnhem for half my life. Arnhem saw one of the most famous battles of the Netherlands in 1944. Apart from Operation Market Garden in and around Arnhem, the area saw many bombings. My hometown Velp was bombed in March 1945, and many landmarks in the Arnhem area were not safe between 1940 and 1945 either. Rosendael Castle and Doorwerth Castle and their surrounding forests were hit. Today peace has been restored and the forests are bustling with life. I like to go here and forage for tiny flowers, mini-mushrooms and other interesting things I can use in my jewellery.

Ypres

During the First World War, Ypres saw some of the heaviest fighting on the Western Front. My love for war poetry brought me here first in 2017, and I come back here quite regularly. Rows upon rows of headstones dot the now tranquil countryside. There is no other place that inspired Poipín more than this area. The poet that inspired me to visit Ypres, Francis Ledwidge, was Irish, and this inspired the name Poipín, which is the Irish word for poppy, one of the most recognisable symbols of remembrance and peace. Unlike some of the places that have inspired Poipín, Ypres wears the scars of war proudly, remembering the fallen each and every night at 8 during the Last Post underneath the Menin Gate. I go to Ypres to collect wildflowers, weeds and other small elements to incorporate into my jewellery.

Boulogne-sur-Mer

The shells used in Poipín Jewellery have been carefully selected at the beach at Boulogne-sur-Mer, making sure no animals were harmed in the process. Boulogne-sur-Mer has played an important role in both wars, being mainly a hospital area in the First World War, and seeing some heavy fighting during the Second World War.