Daisy Knights' Pop-Up Shop

A few months back I wrote a post introducing British jewellery graduate Daisy Knights. I had fallen in love with her collections, featuring tiny skulls and studs, in an organic-meets-playful style. Having first spotted her designs on the pages of Retail Jeweller Magazine, I wrote the blog post, headed to IJL to meet Daisy a few weeks later, and have returned this week from visiting her in her first pop-up shop venture, down on London's Fulham Road.

A smiling Daisy, outside her pop-up shop

It was fabulous to see Daisy again, aglow with excitement and news, filling me in with what's been happening with her jewellery. Alongside two new collections, and some glittering Drusy quartz stone rings, whispers of new stockists (Browns, anyone? Net-a-Porter?) ensure that Daisy has an exciting 2010 ahead of her.

 Drusy Quartz rings from the new Tallulah collection

 

Heart stud earrings, from Daisy's Sparky collection

Decorated with vintage printers' drawers, cream-coloured mannequins and gorgeous prints of her jewel-adorned friend and inspiration Tallulah, Daisy's shop was original, quirky and  laid-back - everything the girl is, and everything her designs are about.  After having a busy few weeks in-situ, it was only fair to add to Daisy's success, so I treated myself to a little something... A silver skull ring has found itself a home on my little finger. Happy days!

Upside-down stone-set stacking rings, from the Michelle collection

My little silver Kim skull ring

A little something: All I want for Christmas

Laura Lee makes jewellery I adore, yet strangely it's been a while since I've had a nose in her Covent Garden shop. Having spotted that - just in time for Christmas - she's now stocked on ASOS, I decided to check out Laura's latest online offerings and... uh-oh... have found that little something I'd love for Christmas... Or maybe Valentines Day. A girl can dream, eh?

9ct gold and Pink Tourmaline heart bracelet, £245 by Laura Lee. Photo courtesy of lauraleejewellery.com

A little something: 'Hello' from around the world

Aaaah. Hannah Zakari has drawn me right in again! Not that I'm complaining of course; just that every time I dare to take a little peek on her site, I end up spotting something I love. This time, lots of pretty pieces sure to raise a smile and hopefully a 'Hello' or two back: jewellery by She Draws. The multilingual 'Hello' studs and matching necklace are a must for anyone doing a bit of European travelling, or even walking down any busy London street where a hundred different languages can be heard... What's more the studs are only £6! A little Xmas present to self? Bonjour, vous serez très très chic!

 

 

 

 

All designs by She Draws, images courtesy of Hannah Zakari

A little something: Reindeer Necklace

I know, I know... it's only the 5th of December (goodness me, it's been a month since fireworks night?!), but just saw this handsome Reindeer Necklace on Bex Rox's site. Nice to see she's getting into the animal jewellery - typical me! - and there's a gorgeous little Antelope ring that's definitely worth a look. But yes, back to the Reindeer necklace. With everything around me getting ever more Christmassy - the spinning Angel tea light decoration is currently on the go - I felt I should acknowledge that yes, there are only 20 more days until the big day... and actually I can't wait!

Gold plated Reindeer necklace, by Bex Rox. Image courtesy of bexrox.com

Designer: Karen Walker Jewellery

I discovered Karen Walker's jewellery in an Australian magazine called Rushh at my lovely friend Holly's house a few weeks back. A quirky advert caught my eye, featuring some of the images below, so I thought it would be great to introduce her here...

Skull, Daisy and Peace necklaces, by Karen Walker 

 

Tiny Skull ring, by Karen Walker

As a fashion, jewellery and accessories designer based in New Zealand, Karen's pieces take inspiration from a range of jaunty female icons, including Woody Allen's Annie Hall, and John Hughes' Allison Reynolds... The result is a collection which falls nicely into the style I adore; cute bits and bobs, random charm-like pendants (robots, lion's heads, rockets), while her gorgeous adverts make the designs even more irresistible. She also makes sweet little studs (think bows, skulls etc.), and chunkier bracelets and pearl designs. Big thanks to Murray at Showroom22, Auckland, for the snaps.

Robot, Military Star and Heart & Arrow Necklaces, by Karen Walker

Crab and Anchor Necklaces, by Karen Walker 

A little something: Lego Man Necklace

Oh to be six again! Spending many, many afternoons building Lego castles/houses/stables those little bricks are ingrained in my memory. Digging into the Lego box for a 'two-er' or a 'one-er' to fill those little gaps in the walls, and - most importantly of all - inhabiting the real estate I'd crafted with lego men, so it wasn't just a building with little green-shuttered windows and a yellow front door.

That's why I'm loving Swank's Lego men necklaces. Not sure what or who the chap below is meant to be (boyf says Michael Schumacher perhaps??), but he's wearing a red leather jacket, fetching helmet and aviators; as far as Lego men go, I don't think you don't get much cooler...

Red Lego Man necklace, by Swank at Hannah Zakari. Image courtesy of hannahzakari.co.uk

New Designer: Momoko Tamura - AKA Momocreatura

Having a wander the other day I was tempted into the luscious Luna and Curious on Brick Lane (some stacking skeleton coffee cups had caught my eye), a shop which had actually held my curiosity for some time, except I was always rushing past on my way elsewhere, or much later once it was closed. That aside, this little treasure trove featured jewellery which I did a rather comical double-take over. "Ooh" I thought, "little bears and bunnies", at which point I looked closer and went "Eww dismembered bears and bunnies!"

A range of little horrors - dismembered owl heads and stags, by Momoko Tamura

Welcome to the world of Japanese jewellery designer Momoko Tamura - designing as Momocreatura - a recent Central Saint Martins MA graduate who creates seemingly innocent, fairytale-inspired jewellery with macabre twist to make even Poe proud. Little silver owls - detailed to a T - pierced through the chest, to create a rather terrifying if not alluring ring. A bold, handsome stag brooch with a bloodied neck representative of hunting horrors. The list goes on...

Owls and rabbits, pierced, hanging, all pieces by Momoko Tamura

Momoko's jewellery takes its inspiration from antique European jewellery, and post-war Japanese subcultures (think Japanese Lolita dress meets Victorian mourning jewellery), to create beautifully detailed jewellery with a terrifying yet humourous edge. I love it. So dark; perfect for all this stormy weather!

Bear in Chains necklace, by Momoko Tamura,. Image courtesy of Jewel Thief

Theme: Autumnal Jewellery

Following a blustery old week (walking home Sunday morning in pouring rain after Hallow'een being a highlight) the leaves on the trees are now leaves on the ground, squidgy and slippery but perfect for the squirrels in Bethnal Green Gardens who appear to take great pleasure in high speed foraging under, below and through great piles of leaves. Anyhow, while I put my Autumnwatch-obsessed self to one side, I've been on the hunt for some Autumn themed jewellery. Here are a few choice pieces...

 

Sterling silver Acorn pendant, by Laura Tabor. Image courtesy of lauratabor.com

 

Sterling silver fallen Maple Leaf necklace, by Alex Monroe. Exclusively at EC One

 

Gold plated brass Jay earrings, with blue chalcedony stones, by David Aubrey. Image courtesy of davidaubrey.com

Cheeky glitter Fox pendant, by Lady Luck Rules OK, image courtesy of LadyLuckRulesOk.com

A little something: Fiona Paxton's Trixy Cuff

Well it's the weekend (mine officially starts at 6pm tonight, following work), which means it's time to get some statement jewellery out! It's Hallow'een too, and my ideas of what to wear tonight (a night in Dalston) is a mish-mash of Cruella-meets-Morticia-meets-Bright Young Thing. My flapper dress might get an airing, but for those who are thinking of doing something a little more Rocky Horror, this Fiona Paxton Trixy cuff is a must. Love love love it. Perfect for jeans and breton stripes as much as biker boots and a mini dress.

Trixy cuff by Fiona Paxton, shown here in the gold colourway

A little something: Tatty Devine Magpie Rings

From the first time I saw them, I've loved Tatty Devine's Magpie rings. So when I was handed a little black and silver box on my birthday last week, I was super pleased it was them! At last, my own pair of the pretty black Magpie rings, picked up from their Brick Lane shop.

Black Magpie rings

My favourite bird is the Magpie, the Pica Pica, elegant blue-green and black, deft, inquisitive and sociable. Superstition suggests it's unlucky to see a single Magpie, and I love that Rosie and Harriet at Tatty Devine have whimsically picked up this. Anyway, why wear one ring, when you can have two?!

An alternative knuckle duster??

As new additions to the jewellery box, there could be some rivalry between the birds and their fellow Tatty Devine Cat ring... So I've ensured the red Heart ring stays somewhere in the middle!

White acrylic Cat ring, red acrylic Heart ring and pair of black Magpie rings, all by Tatty Devine

Theme: Spikes and Studs

Oh dear... My obsession with spikes and studs is reaching a whole new level. Only last week was I sat watching Gossip Girl, pressing gold-tone studs into an old tshirt in the hope of making it look somehow cool. Such frivolous attempts aside, while not watching Gossip Girl I seem to find myself searching online for spiky, studded jewellery. The good news is the jewellery is coming in all shapes and styles, from quirky, raw-edged earrings and bangles, to the brightly coloured regal-inspired acrylic bangles by one of my favourite up-and-coming designers, Nicholas King - a definite one to watch for 2010...

The spiked wheel Muriel earrings by Joanna Cave, below, are a personal favourite of mine. Joanna was kind enough to recently make me a pair of these on a smaller hoop earring (a treat to self, plus I'm a big fan of hers). I'm love the way the little pearls add just that touch of softness.

Silver, oxidised and pearl hoop spiked wheel earrings, by Joanna Cave at EC One

  

Gold plated silver 'Samurai' necklace, based on the Samurai sword, by EC One

On the more uniform stud scale are the pyramid bangles by Daisy Knights, a fabulous jewellery designer who I wrote about on here not long ago. I'm still enjoying her designs, and with my birthday next week am definitely looking forward to adding something of hers to my jewellery box..! Daisy manages to keep things feminine yet tough; a little bit raw but with a lot of love involved in the making.

 

Silver and gold plated silver studded 'Molly' bangles, by Daisy Knights

 

Sterling silver pyramid stud earring, by Alex & Chloe at Kabiri

Though I've mostly known William Cheshire's men's collection, amidst his repertoire are  pieces that us ladies can get our hands on. His new Lightening and Electricity collections play with the lightening bolt shape, refining the look to tough-luxe. His highly polished finishes and use of diamonds and chunky uncut stones demonstrate William's skill as a leading British jewellery designer , who's worked with Stephen Einhorn and Paul Smith.

 

Gold plated 'Lightening' stud earrings, by William Cheshire

A somewhat more playful take on studs and spikes can be seen in the work of Wendy Pickard (The Branch) and Nicholas King. Their ever-growing stockist lists means that their jewellery is accessible, on-trend and ever more in the public eye. Nicholas King is especially worth keeping an eye on; with time spent at DKNY and Alexis Bittar, he certainly knows the market and certainly knows what works. Check out his amazing sequin bangles here.

 

Rosewood ring, studded with gold plated silver round studs, by The Branch

 

Multi-coloured acrylic 'Crown' spikey bangles, by Nicholas King

Designers: Missoma

Tomorrow Missoma will launch their new Elements collection - a playful charm based range which allows you to mix and match their designs to create a unique piece of your own. It really is about time I wrote about Missoma, because being based in London where there's a never ending supply of amazing jewellery talent, the Missoma girls are certainly standing proud. Their hard work is admirable and designs inimitable, so let me tell you more.

Michelle, Sophie and Marisa - the three designers behind Missoma

Missoma, a quirky yet memorable name, is a rather intriguing mix of its three designers' first names: Michele and her two daughters Marisa and Sophie. Together they design different ranges, each testament to their own styles - some are classic, others edgy and the most recent - Thorn and Shaka - very much fashion-led.

Multi-stone Shaka cuff, by Missoma. Image courtesy of Missoma.com

 

Shaka spike stud rings, set with (clockwise from top) rutillated quartz, rock crystal, chrysophrase and lapis lazuli. Image courtesy of Missoma.com 

The main themes in Missoma's designs are the use of gold vermeil (gold plating on a sterling silver base), and brightly coloured gemstones; everything from lapis lazuli and labradorite, to stunning green chrysophrase and deep red coral.

Hot Rox small hoop earrings, set with tourmaline, garnet and amethyst, by Missoma. Image courtesy of Missoma.com 

Hot Rox stacking rings, shown here (top to bottom) in chrysophrase, amethyst, citrine and blue chalcedony, all by Missoma. Image courtesy of Missoma.com 

Describing their designs as 'statement wherever you go', the girls are influenced by their travels to India, Morocco and Thailand and as a result their pieces are often feminine with a twist - Grecian cuffs complement art-deco style charms; rings have unusual claw settings while the necklaces are long and perfect for layering.

Stella long pendant necklace, with faceted amethyst. Image courtesy of Missoma.com

 

Long multi-stone, multi-charm Hot Rox necklace, by Missoma. Image courtesy of Missoma.com

With over 10 different collections they really do have something for any age, taste and style. I particularly love these earrings, below, from their recently launched Shaka collection, perfect with an LBD and vintage leather jacket!

Shaka spike hoop earring, by Missoma. Image courtesy of Missoma.com

A little something... Stephen Webster Mosquito Ring

So tomorrow - apparently - will see the launch of a limited edition mosquito ring by cult British jewellery designer Stephen Webster. Though he is making an impressive white gold, ruby and black diamond version (below), a silver replica will be available on asos.com, meaning all of us jewellery lovers can have a slice of the action. The silver version is likely to sell out within hours; it's £50 price tag makes it a hundreth of the price of a typical Webster Crystal Haze ring, most of which retail up to £5,500.

18ct black rhodium plated white gold Mosquito ring, set with cabachon rubies and black and white diamonds. 

By Stephen Webster, for Malaria No More UK.
 

Of course, beyond its recession-busting price tag, there's an important message here. Proceeds from the asos.com rings go towards Malaria No More UK, a charity dedicated to protecting African children from Malaria. Each £50 sale buys 10 mosquito nets - enough to protect 20 children for five years.

Black rhodium plated silver ring, set with red and white crystals. 

By Stephen Webster for Malaria No More UK, at asos.com

My love/hate relationship with Webster and his various designs means that this little venture has put him in my good books for the next few weeks. Which is good, as I'm involved in a launch party for his silver Jewels Verne collection at the end of October - something I am in fact rather excited about!

A little something... Ed Banger Records necklace

So it's my birthday soon, and the one thing I've wanted for a looooonnng time is a SebastiAn tshirt, because he's quite possibly my favourite artist on French electro record label Ed Banger. Of course, on the official Ed Banger merch site - Cool Cats - they're continually sold out... So imagine my excitement when I spotted a 30" sterling silver chain, complete with Ed Banger shield pendant? Yeah, it was pretty astronomical.

But it was sold out, natch.

Sterling silver Ed Banger Records shield necklace, exclusively sold through Coolcats.fr. As modelled on a certain Pedro Winter. Props.

A little something... L.O.V.E

My gorgeous friend and jewellery designer Lindsay Pearson makes oh-so-pretty, feminine jewellery with an elegant vintage feel. Right now she's enjoying a 3 week trip around California, but just before she left, she sent me these snaps from her most recent 18ct collection.

18ct yellow gold 'love' stacking rings, by Lindsay Pearson

The ring spells that one and only word; each letter is on an individual stacking ring, designed to fit  snugly on top of one another. It would be lovely to have a bespoke one - something Lindsay would certainly do. She also makes single letters, if you'd prefer your own initial or that of a certain someone special.

18ct yellow gold 'love' stack ring, by Lindsay Pearson

Check out more of her gorgeous jewellery, including her necklaces (which are to die for) here.

New Designer: Aroha Silhouettes

I stumbled across Aroha Silhouettes earlier this week, as my eyes devoured the yummy bits and bobs on Not Couture (or NotCot, as it's also known). I did a double take at a pair of unusual earrings, which, interestingly, I now understand is the aim of Aroha's jewellery. It makes you stop, look and go 'oh, I see', because cleverly Aroha have taken those optical illusions that had us baffled and cross-eyed as kids, and turned them into minimal, graphic jewellery designs.

'Confined' optical illusion steel earrings, by Aroha Silhouettes. Photo courtesy of arohasilhouettes.com

Aroha appears to be a one-woman jewellery venture - a 26-year-old known as Tania, based in Vancouver. Her own blog explains she's been in business for just over a year, yet Aroha seems to be gathering strength already, with an Etsy shop and a host of other retailers. But let's stick with what's important - the jewellery.

Tania's designs are made from recycled vinyl records and steel, both of which I'd imagine are laser-cut. The results are 2D designs which appear 3D. Optical illusions become accessories, channelling a magical, myserious vibe, not to mention one's inner geek. Her design repertoire is already sufficient - it also includes stacks of books and prism-like cubes - but there's definitely plenty more for Tania to play with... I'll be sure to keep an eye on what comes up next!

'Succession' vinyl necklace, by Aroha Silhouettes. Photo courtesy of arohasilhouettes.com

'Succession' necklace, as above. Photo courtesy of arohasilhouettes.com

'Conform' vinyl necklace, by Aroha Silhouettes. Photo courtesy of arohasilhouettes.com

'Bermuda' optical illusion steel earrings, by Aroha Silhouettes. Photo courtesy of arohasilhouettes.com