RLT Interview #7: Helen Harris, Jeweler

On her FJ Cruiser, Master P, and YouTube

The RLT Interview explores all the things, people, and places that have informed a person's taste and, more importantly, sense of self. 

This week, I chatted with New York City and Milwaukee-based jeweler Helen Harris, also known as @helenwiththegoldteeth, who’s made grills and jewelry for everyone from makeup artist Raisa Flowers and fashion designer Brandon Blackwood to director Janizca Bravo and rapper Big Sean.

Get to know Helen as she muses about her FJ Cruiser, her YouTube obsession, and finding style inspiration from Trick Daddy and Master P.

On Taste

I think more and more, I'm a little bit utilitarian. I’m driven by quality things that are practical but look good. I mean, I hate to sound like literally every other person, but my taste is pretty minimalist. I like variation, but I don't like too many different things. If I had to say I have an aesthetic, it's mellow. I got it from my mom. She liked quality, well-made garments when it came to household things. Anyone who knows me knows that, regardless of my gender presentation at any time, I still look like the same person. I like athletic wear a lot because it's so practical. What I like is just regular stuff. We have a place in Wisconsin called Farm and Fleet—I like that. I like Kohl's department store. With my lifestyle, sometimes I have to have looks, but I never get too crazy. I really like T-shirts. I love the Gap and J.Crew. I have to bully myself into buying and wearing other things.

For T-shirts, I could go two ways. One is to get something that just fits my frame really nicely, that's plain and made of real cotton. The other way is to find something exciting. I like vintage T-shirts, and I like my own homemade T-shirts. I like bootleg. I enjoy buying merch because I probably value experiences more than I value clothes. It's always nice to walk away from a show with something for the memory. I’d say I probably got heavy into that in 2014. I started going to a lot of shows and buying bootleg merch outside instead of at the show—or in addition to at the show. The thing that kicked it off was Mariah Carey’s Christmas Residency; all the bootleg merch was so much better than the stuff she sells. After that, I became addicted. The ones I make for myself are for people who have either passed away or people who are alive that I like. The first one I made was a memorial shirt for my mother, and it was just really pretty—very precious. Then, I lost another friend and made another. Then, I made some for living jewelers.

When I first started making jewelry and became Helen With The Gold Teeth, I wore a lot of jewelry at the time. It was fascinating because I didn’t wear a lot of jewelry, but then all of a sudden, I really started—it felt important to incorporate that. At the time, I still had a very, very white-collar job where I wore dry-cleaned clothes every day. I just wanted to express myself. I wore a lot of really well-crafted silver pieces and some second-hand Tiffany. It was a balance between delicate, shiny pieces and heavier ones. I have this really thick Cuban chain; it’s hardcore-looking and silver. I started wearing earrings a little more. At the time, my presentation was very male, and this was just a way to connect to my femininity. That’s how I really started to get back into jewelry. When I started selling jewelry, I needed to learn more about the business. Selling came long before manufacturing and designing, so I would shop a lot. I started buying tons of jewelry and learned from the people who sold to me, like the carats and how they price things. Then my jewelry style changed, and I gradually just wore more and more gold. It just kept escalating because I think I started to buy into the notion that I had to flex. That’s not even necessarily who I am entirely, but it felt like part of my uniform as a jeweler. That’s why I ended up with a giant Jesus piece.

Now, I don’t like to wear a lot of jewelry at the same time, so I’ll wear diamonds. I'm still doing a lot, but I don’t have to wear a million pieces of jewelry. I’ve worked my way back to styling my chains more similarly to how they were when I first started doing this. I don’t want to wear all those Cuban links. I would say something started to turn for me—it’s really bizarre—but in 2021 and 2022, when all that Covid money started drying up and people were really hurting, it did not feel the same. Walking around in a heavy gold chain, I could feel people noticing me so much because I wasn’t used to being outside. That’s when I started to realize this isn’t very functional. So gradually, more and more, I’m dialing it back.

My dad always had the same pieces my whole life. He had a lot of different jewelry, but my entire life, he’s always had the same pieces, and they’re really, really nice. My stepmom is a little more conservative in her look. She wears a lot of opal and a lot of silver. She’s just a modest Catholic lady, so she doesn’t go too crazy. But my mom, my birth mom, she was glamorous. My mom was just that girl. I’m her only child, so since I was small, she had nice jewelry on me. She was more materialistic. She was more about being able to show off that I had things. In middle school, I started wearing a lot of gold chains, and my aesthetic was very Latina. I ran with a very multicultural group, but the aesthetic was very ’90s Latina—a lot of gold chains, rings, and stuff with my initials—just like the things that girls like right now. My mom had a partner who was a Sicilian guy, and he had so much jewelry. I would just come home one day, and he’d be like, “Here, take this,” and it would be an ivory necklace. I grew up seeing them in a lot of heavy gold that people are used to seeing me wearing. Seeing those two wearing that—that’s why I did it. It’s a sort of homage to those parents who have passed away.

On Discovery

Exploration—opening up my mind to different experiences, really noticing what other people do, and toying with whether or not I get to do those things. I would say one of the main things is definitely gender presentation. I'm sort of a terror when it comes to that. I will literally go from looking like a man to a super feminine woman and expect everyone to just roll with it. It's dramatic and confusing. But I’ve noticed that people are allowed to do certain things because of who they are, and I don't really feel like I should be limited.

For a while, I really liked how Trick Daddy and Master P looked in the '90s: nice cotton athletic gear, everything fresh all the time, nothing expensive. I'd think, "I'm going to do that," and then I’d just do it. I’m definitely influenced by other people—not people I know, but people I admire and have been into since childhood. For a while, when I wore my hair bald and short, the easiest way to look very nice without having to try that hard was to make people think of Tupac. It’s always a win, and you don't have to do that much. Most of the people I think fondly of from adolescence tend to be rappers or athletes. Honestly, I still love the way they look; they looked really cool. There was a point in time when Dennis Rodman was that person for me. Depending on what's going on in my life, like anyone else, I might choose to exercise differently or do things that change my body. When I physically have to clothe myself, if I'm carrying weight in a certain way, it’s just so much easier to go that route—it feels very natural for me.

As an adult, someone I really look up to when I'm trying to be ladylike or a mature woman is Dionne Warwick. I feel very inspired by her at all ages. I remember, when I was younger, thinking, "When I get older, I want to look like her," because she wears her hair cropped, wears aviators, and looks so cool and confident. She's feminine and tomboyish at the same time. Whitney Houston, too—she's very tomboyish, free in herself, and looks so good in her T-shirt and ball cap. I admire them. I think they're so beautiful—feminine, but also tomboyish.

On Beauty

There's probably nothing we could discuss without finding some beauty in it, but the things I'm drawn to are definitely people—they're gorgeous. I like cars. I have my car, which I've already gone through so much trouble with because of what it is. It's a really unique vehicle, like a cult thing, and it's been such a pain in the neck for me the whole way through. But I'm just like, "I gotta ride it out," because of the way it looks, the way it drives. Being part of the community of people who love them doesn’t help either because I’ll just be on Reddit looking at their gorgeous shots of them out in nature, and it’s like you're able to have that experience because you drive the car. The silhouette, the body of it—there’s nothing else like it, even though it comes from a lineage of a certain vehicle from this maker. They only made them for a few years, and they don't sell them anymore. I go through it all for how beautiful it is.

When I was younger, I really wanted an FJ Cruiser, and I just never got it. I got really into '90s Jeeps, and I drove one for a while. Then, I had been driving a Prius for a few years, and it was awesome; they're so cool. The newer versions, they're really cool. When you're inside them, they feel much fancier. It feels like you're in, not a spaceship, but it feels really cool and futuristic. But I was ready for something different, and I started fantasizing about a different lifestyle. So I went back to this thing that I wanted when I was younger. Now, I drive an FJ Cruiser; it's just a really sick, beautiful car. They made them from 2007, in America, until 2014, I want to say. I think in the United States, there was only that time that you could get it. It was a concept car, and Toyota presented it at a trade show. People went crazy over it, and then they turned it into a vehicle, put it on the market, and they're just this cult thing.

People have FJ meetups, people do FJ off-roading trips together. If you park near an FJ, you have to take a picture of it and post it later. If you see someone in an FJ, you're supposed to say, "What's up?" And if they don't say, "What's up," they're the weird one. That's the culture of it. I don't think so, but that's the culture of it.

On Desire

I’m at a really weird crossroads right now. What do I desire in life? Peace. Peace and sustainability—that's what I desire above all else. I don't really have too many lofty ambitions right now. I don't want too many different things. Materialism, right now, comes and goes. My deepest desires are really about enjoying my life day to day, as close to permanently and as authentically as possible. Desire. I'm so basic; I want my muscles back, I don't want any clothes. I want my truck to be sicker, and after that, it's just like, I want my Martha Stewart homestead. I want my home in Connecticut. I want my home on the lake in Wisconsin. 

On Pleasure

I’m an asexual person, and I don't date. I'm a workaholic, but that stopped being pleasurable for me. So right now, I'm invested in finding enjoyment and pleasure on a regular basis. For me, it's like I have these private goals, and I chip away at them. My life as a jeweler is very interesting; it found me—I didn't go after it. It's a beautiful opportunity, and I found something that I love, but I have other things I'm deeply passionate about, and I’m really nurturing those parts of myself.

A lot of people don't realize it, but I am in Wisconsin most of the time now. I'm not in New York day to day. I find a tremendous amount of pleasure in standing at Lake Michigan. The fresh air that I breathe in the winter—when it's the coldest—my favorite thing to do was, in the evening, go for a walk, smoke a blunt, and breathe that cold air.

I watch a lot of YouTube. It's kind of a problem. I'm a hermit, so I live on YouTube. For instance, I was almost late to this because I was watching a live of Tokyo Toni and Jaguar Wright. On YouTube, I get tremendous amounts of pleasure from listening to Tokyo Toni just talking shit, or listening to Corey Holcomb—it is so messy. When I want to wind down and feel good, what brings me joy is sitting here laughing at this shit. Then, the few friends I talk to regularly, catching up with them about the crazy things we hear. I won't say I'm a conspiracy theorist, but I'm not that far off, so I find a lot of pleasure in the echo chambers of the internet where people say crazy stuff. It puts me at ease, and it's just so fun.

What was the last thing you did for pleasure?
I ate an edible. I went out to eat with my family; it was very pleasing to spend time with them. I got a lot of things done around my house, and I felt really set up for the week. Then, I can't remember what I was watching, but the whole time I was screaming because I was just like, the world is so crazy right now, and we can express ourselves any way we want. I was just watching someone say the craziest stuff, and it was like euphoria for me. It's a problem in my life.

What was the last thing you bought?
I went shopping last weekend, and I was really trying to buy new clothes. I was like, "Okay, you never shop. You have to buy new clothes," because I feel like either my clothes are way too dressy or they're too bummy. I didn't find anything I wanted, so I just bought a bunch of supplements. Before that, the last thing I bought for myself was this book—it's a Japanese book that chronicles the different Nikes that came out between 1971 and 1980. It's a really beautiful book. It's in Japanese, so, unfortunately, I can't really read it, but I think anyone who likes design or the evolution of style or a brand might find the book interesting.

What's the last thing you discovered?
Most of my discoveries these days are things I'm learning from dental professionals, dentists, and dental technicians—different breakthroughs about how you're supposed to approach making dental appliances for people with different smile compositions. I'm also exploring different ideas about how to integrate parts of the modern dental workflow into how I'm making jewelry.

What's the last thing you've read?
The last audiobooks I finished were Juicy J’s Chronicles of the Juiceman and Julia Fox's book. The Juicy J one—it’s good, don't get me wrong—but he doesn't read it himself. It's always better when they read it, and that's one downside of that book. Then, it's just like with any of these guys who made it out of the '90s or '00s a little bit untouched—anything you read about them, they just talk about how they did all their business so well, how they did right by everyone, and how they were so great. So the whole time, I'm a little bit like, I don't know if I believe you, especially when you're listening to this man who's done incredible things but the rest of 'em dropped dead. You know what I'm saying?

Julia Fox's book is so good. She reads it, so that's really important. It's a really good book about coming of age, about girlhood, about overcoming your challenges. I think it's a pretty inspirational book because, when it's over, she's basically like, "Ha, I survived, and I did it being as weird as I want. I don't care if you don't think I'm hot anymore because I'm a weird-ass bitch." And I was like, this is cuckoo. I loved it.

What's the last thing you watched or saw?
Before we got on the phone, I was watching Tokyo Toni. I love regular people who have a big platform. Then, before that, the last major thing I watched was the rapper Khia. She has this YouTube show called Gag Order Live, and I'm obsessed with it because I've loved her for a good 20 years. She started making these YouTube videos probably around 2005. Her real fans always consume this content, so she's got this army of supporters who call her on the phone, and she doesn't have to talk shit about anybody—she's just like, “Gag me.” She has people, coast to coast and internationally, calling to entertain her. It's hilarious.

Outside of that, the things that aren't as boneheaded and vapid are nature videos, like landscapes, where I'm learning about different parts of the animal kingdom and how these different living beings organize their lives and communities and how they communicate.

What's the last thing you disliked?
If I don't like something, I just turn it off. Lately, I've been trying to watch more shows so I can talk to people about the things they're into instead of just sitting there. I tried to watch that HBO show White Lotus. I had to cut it off—it was so boring and not funny. Watching that guy be such a jerk and then watching the teenagers be jerks, I was like, this is not good. Watching the woman accommodate these terrible people, I was like, this is not good.

What do you smell like?
Parfums de Marly, Delina. This is my main go-to—I love it so much. It makes people happy when they smell me. Then, there's Philosykos by Diptyque, which I wanted for so long.

What's one thing in your closet that you'll never get rid of?
I have a sweater in my closet that I've had since seventh grade. It looks like shit, but I'm never getting rid of it. I'm a purger—I let things go. It's not difficult for me to get rid of things, but that is one thing I'll never let go of.

I also have some jewelry that I would never get rid of. My tennis bracelet—I'll never part with it. It's just so beautiful, and it's really different. Not a lot of people wear this style of tennis bracelet. For so long, I was synonymous with gold in terms of my aesthetic and the things I sell, so it took me a long time to get into wearing diamonds. But I think this was cool for me because it's just so heavy, and there's a lot of gold there.

What's something that you spent a lot of money on that was worth it?
It’s never worth it. I have these purses, and sometimes I'm like, “Oh, I'm so happy I have this,” and it makes me feel like a better person because I have it. If you're feeling down and you walk out of the house with that stuff, sometimes it will make people treat you differently, and sometimes it will make your life a little bit easier. But there have been times when I'm head to toe in Gucci, and people will go out of their way to try to make me feel small because they're like, “You're still Black.” So, at this point, I don't really feel like it's hardly ever worth it when it comes to those things.

I would say the closest thing to it is probably footwear. I have a pair of Celine shoes; I think they'll stand the test of time. I can wear them when I'm a 70-year-old lady if I want to. They're really beautiful, comfortable, and versatile. When I finally wear them, I'm always like, “Oh, this is nice.” But no, I'm watching the dust pile up on these things that I never really needed to buy. There's a time and a place, but I think a message that I would like other people to be aware of is that if you want to be known for something—if you are trying to elevate your profile and get yourself out there—buying this shit is dumb as hell because so many of the other people who are out there and made it don't have it. Their stylists are calling around for them to get those pieces so they can be shot in them and look like they have something. So for me, I don't think it's that worth it, but I guess that's for my lifestyle. I'm a recluse hermit. I don't need all this stuff.

What do you think it means to have taste?
People can express themselves however they want, and any sort of expression—if it's to their taste—you can't judge them. But at the same time, I like simplicity. There are people who overdo it, and they look really, really, really good, but I wouldn't necessarily say they have taste in the way that I understand that statement. I have a great-grandma and aunts who are in their 70s, and to them, having taste isn't just about having stuff; it's about there being some sort of class present.

Usually, when I see someone and think, “Oh, he has taste” or “she has taste,” there's probably some element of timelessness there. It could be a sporty look, a professional look, or a casual look, but the way people pull it together and the reaction you have to how they look—the way they make you feel—is just like, “Okay, I think that's taste.”

All photos courtesy of Helen.