JOANNA INNOS
HELK Reflective Jewellery Designer: Joanna Innos / www.facebook.com/helkehe
The HELK Brand was established on 2012 in Tallinn, Estonia. There are actually two people behind HELK – Joanna Innos, as the designer and idea generator, and her partner, Kristo, who is in charge of everything else. They are in the middle of their second season of creating bold and innovative reflective brooches, currently available in Estonia, Finland and Latvia. The different models are initially drawn by hand, then modified using a computer, laser-cut from satinized plexiglass and finally covered with 3M reflector film, which is usually used for marine buoys. So they reflect light absolutely perfectly. Currently, they have 8 different models in production and new ones are also being added from time to time. Designed and produced from scratch in Estonia. Joanna Innos: “HELK is a brooch and a reflector in one. The idea started in summer 2012, when the autumn was approaching and we became aware of the need for reflectors once again. I have never loved the hanging-type of reflectors because they usually do not look so great nor add anything flattering to your outfit. That is when the idea came to us – why not design something I would personally love to wear that could also satisfy the requirement of wearing a reflector? And so HELK was born.” Producer: VIU OÜ / Year design: 2012 / Year production: 2012–2014 / Materials: satinized plexiglass, 3M reflector film / Techniques: laser cutting / Dimensions: various / Photographer: Joanna Innos
Joanna was born in 1990 and grew up in Rakvere, Estonia. Currently she resides in Tallinn, Estonia. In 2010, she commenced studies in the design faculty under professor Kadri Mälk in the jewellery and blacksmithing department at the Estonian Academy of Arts. She successfully divides her time between designing for the innovative brand HELK and working in a cosy Old Town studio creating unique jewellery pieces mostly from precious materials such as silver, gold, semi-precious stones and ebony. She has also been an intern at the studio of Tanel Veenre, currently one of the most influential jewellery artists in Europe. She is the designer and one of the owners of the Estonian reflective jewellery brand HELK. She has participated in several group exhibitions in Estonia with her unique work (HOP Gallery 2013, Tallinna Linnateater 2012, Haapsalu Evald Okase Museum 2013 etc.). She has also studied psychology at the University of Tartu, and when she finds spare time from these things, Joanna also loves travelling, photography and cooking.