I am often asked if we make everything that is on display in our showroom. I guess it is an obvious question, but my answer is always the same, “No, but let me tell you why…”
I am a jewellery designer, a fact I am very proud of, and I can interpret your ideas in to that perfect piece of jewellery for you, BUT, I also have my own style, my own way of working and my own ideas of what makes jewellery beautiful. This is the style and aesthetic that I pull from when I design a collection for the shop or for myself and it may not suit everyone. So, owning a jewellers, how do we get around this? We showcase work from other designer/makers! It’s simple really, not only are we able to show different styles, and price points, but we can also champion the work of other jewellers. Those people that love their craft as much as we do!
With this in mind, I thought I would write about two of our designers to show you why I wanted to show their beautiful work in our showroom. (You can see a full list of all our jewellers by clicking here, although I am sure to share another Spotlight post on the blog in the coming months.)
ALICE BARNES
I first came across Alice on Instagram (I just love IG for looking at jewellery and making connections), and after several chats and double-taps we finally met up in at a London trade fair. I just love her style of work, and actually own a pair of earrings myself, so I knew I wanted to showcase her jewellery at Varoshe.
Alice’s work is beautifully soft with its satin finish and ‘folded’ design; it really is lovely when the light hits it. Her collections are influenced by folded paper art, which is clear to see, especially in the paper plane design, which is just perfect for your first anniversary! (HINT: it’s paper!)
"My collections originate from a playful exercise in which I limited my materials to small squares of silver sheet. By carefully piercing, forming and sometimes combining squares, I realised that just as in origami there were endless possibilities… My latest collection ‘Pleated’ continues to be inspired by paper, but to get the sharp folds and weighty quality I wanted to achieve, I decided to turn to wax carving and the ancient lost wax process. I carefully hand carve each section front and back to create elegant pieces with a touch of art deco sophistication.” – Alice Barnes
JOHN MOORE
John has been with us since the beginning. His work always receives stacks of attention and is definitely a showstopper collection. If you’ve been passed the shop in the last six months, you will definitely have seen his jewellery, you just can’t miss it!
We have two collections of John’s work here at Varoshe; Flight and Elytra. Both are predominantly made of anodised aluminium, which John dyes in different ways, depending on the collection…
The Flight designs are especially eye catching, as they are dyed in layers to create the distinctive texturing of colours. The more you look at each piece the more you discover, and no two pieces are the same. Even the back of each ‘feather’ is coloured differently, giving a wonderful surprise element when viewed from behind.
Elytra is made up of over lapping shapes to create a beautiful sense of movement. The individual ‘wings’ are made from sheets of aluminium, which is repeatedly dipped into baths of dye to create seamless, graduated colour. These sheets are then cut out, finished and formed by hand. The true beauty of the collection is that each piece is reversible, giving you a number of ways to wear it, depending on your mood.
“Beyond the limits of traditional jewellery there is a world of possibility for self-expression.” – John Moore
I love all of our designer’s jewellery collections, but for very different reasons. Whether it is the feminine elegance of Jacks Turner’s work, or the unusual, playful designs by Cara Tonkin, they are all so contrasting in style that it will be hard not to find something that you like, and that’s the point! By showcasing our jewellery alongside that of other makers there is bound to be something to catch your eye.
If you would like to read more about our designers, you can do so here.
Hope to see in West Malling soon.