Attire Accessories - Nov/Dec 2018 (Issue 73)

98 To travel is to li ve Wanderlust Life creator Georgie Roberts explains why the company’s Devonshire location is important for upholding the brand’s laid-back, minimal vibe ell us a bit about Wanderlust Life Jewellery and h w you came to open the retail space. Wanderlust Life is an understated and minimal British jewellery brand inspired by travel and creative living. The label was built on my aspiration to create a range of jewellery reflecting my love of travel. The company was founded in 2003 and began as an online business. The growth of the brand has been really healthy, and we wanted to invest in our future by creating a new permanent home for Wanderlust Life where we could house all elements of the business under one roof, including a retail space to showcase our designs. The opportunity arose to take on a space just minutes from the beaches of Saunton and Croyde, a spot that captures our target audience, with the store design epitomising our brand’s laid-back and minimal vibe. Understated with a minimalist edge, our collection of jewellery explores the world for ideas. The signature look for Wanderlust Life features a spectrum of semi-precious faceted stones, floating on delicate chains and fine cord necklaces, earrings, bracelets and rings. What challenges were overcome when you decided to branch out into your own flagship store? I think one of the biggest challenges with anything new and uncertain is moving out of your comfort zone. There are always risks involved in new projects, but without risk, you can’t experience growth. It was important for me to integrate the team, having all aspects of the business operating within one small space. Everything happens at 14 Caen Street: design, manufacture, marketing, e-commerce, wholesale and everything in between that’s required to run a business! The shop/studio has exceeded our expectations with footfall and sales now that we have a dedicated retail space, so within the design, we created dedicated areas for e-commerce, manufacture, design and marketing. We created light and airy Japanese-inspired screening to give privacy without closing off the open plan studio space. It’s been a big change for us, as we started predominantly as an online business but soon realised just how important it is to meet our customer. Choosing jewellery is a unique experience, and for a customer, it allows them to touch, try and feel each handmade piece. It’s equally as important for us to meet each customer who walks through the door; it’s the best way to learn more about your customer. What is your customer base? We have a very loyal customer base, both geographically in the South West (the birthplace of our brand) and also within our online community in the UK and further afield across the globe. We’re from the coast of North Devon, just minutes from the surf beaches of Saunton and Croyde, and this spot really captures our target audience footfall. A lot of people pass through the area, and therefore it’s quite transient. Although some could find being closer to the sea and further from the city a little quiet or isolating, we see a real diverse mix of people visiting our store, including locals, those working flexitime from nearby cities and people here on holiday. What’s your USP? Our full jewellery collection is made in-house by our wonderful all- female collective. As we have our jewellery studio within the same building as our retail space, you can see the jewellery being made, and I think it’s a real draw that you can see the craft process. We’re also able to offer bespoke and custom-made pieces to create personal orders. I think being able to offer that extra level of service and personalisation is something special in an age of mass production. How important is the interior design of the store? Our studio space was custom-built and designed as an open-plan working shop and studio. The entire process is housed under one roof within 26 sqm and encompasses both the retail space and collection concepts, design, manufacture, market and e-commerce. The store was designed by retail designer Jamie Maxwell, and the brief was to create a space that would work for the team, both creative and retail, to design a customer-facing place customized to Wanderlust Life’s needs as a rapidly growing jewellery and lifestyle business. The new store and workspace was inspired by the minimal functionality of the Scandinavian approach to design and the elegant simplicity of Japanese interiors. These two aesthetics were paired together to create a naturally serene space, one where the product becomes the hero. What are your current bestsellers? Our Signature Fine Cord Necklace remains our overall bestseller, season after season. It’s one of the first styles we launched more than five years ago, and a design we’ve become well known for. The design and look of the necklace is so effortlessly simple; I think that’s why everyone loves them so much. A faceted semi-precious gemstone sits delicately on a fine cord, finished with a 14k gold fill clasp and our Wanderlust Life hand stamped gemstone tag. This necklace design is available in more than 30 semi-precious gemstones so that the customer can choose by a stone property, birthstone month or favourite colour. Each gemstone is one of a kind, so it makes the purchase both personal and individual. Twice a year we release a new range, and as part of our latest Wear Kinship collection we’ve developed a range of 14k gold fill ear jackets in fashion forward geometric shapes which are a new direction for Wanderlust Life.