by Maria Sofou

British jewellery designer Lili Murphy-Johnson has created a brilliant collection of jewellery, inspired by menstruation!

Murphy-Johnson is well aware that a woman’s period is often a taboo that in many cases stigmatizes the female body as ‘dirty’ and she has had enough of it. Her jewellery collection talks about what is often only whispered – the frustrating blood leaks, the tampons, the pads, PMS and its mood swings – aiming to change public perception about female periods by creatively showing that they are natural, not gross.

“Periods are stigmatized in our culture from a long history of superstition and inequality for women. There is an interesting conflict with the perception of the female body, being seen as so perfect, yet also as so grotesque and unclean. Drug stores are oversaturated with products to manage periods, all playing up to the idea that periods are dirty and something wrong with the body, something to hide. My collection is inspired by menstruation, and the frustrating, leaking female body. Comprising of three prominent stages of menstruation, my collection focuses on the hormonal mood swings that makes up premenstrual syndrome, commonly known as PMS; the ‘periods paraphernalia’ being tampons, sanitary towels, soaps, wipes, and the many products that are provided to women to help manage their periods; and lastly the blood itself,” she explains.

Inspiring!