Attire Accessories - Jan/Feb 2020 (Issue 80)

90 Can you tell us about the company was started and how were the initial products developed? I set up the business in 1996 after graduating from Glasgow School of Art. The initial collections were designed as commercial wearable pieces of art inspired by the beautiful Scottish countryside that we live in. I felt the main challenge was to design a bespoke range of jewellery that could be developed for commercial viability, and to develop a unique recognisable style of my own. After creating the first collections I then sent portfolios to many department stores and galleries around the UK to see if they would take on the work. I was very lucky to have success in the early years and developed a strong relationship with many beautiful galleries as well as the John Lewis department stores. What challenges were overcome when the company was starting out? Expansion was fast in the early years so the main challenge was setting up the right facilities for the potential growth of the business – working with the right equipment, staff and premises to suit our needs. What sets you apart from your competitors? I feel what sets us apart is that I have now developed a strong sense of style distinctive to us and we create all our work here in our workshop in Scotland. We use traditional methods and we have a strong design story and illustrative theme running through the ranges, making our jewellery very wearable and collectable. How important is your location to the company in its success? Living and working in the beautiful west coast of Scotland is key for the business. We live in a rural location where there is an abundance of hills and woodlands to walk in daily with my dog for inspiration! Do you have an ethical stance for the brand? We are always striving to work ethically as a brand – sourcing new resources as they come to market and always are on the lookout for ethical solutions to the way we work and the materials that we use. How has the product changed over the years and how would you describe your current collection? I have always loved illustrations from children books and admired the sense of character in the style that is used frequently to tell a story. The fast sketch style often reflects the mood of the story telling. When I had my own children this became even more of an influence in my style of designing – the children are wonderful at looking at the small details in life. Currently I like to use layers in the jewellery to create a picture, a mini drawing if you like. The touches of gold are the focus on the small detail that we all need to see – in this fast world this is so important!   How often do you launch new lines and what are your bestselling ranges? Tell me about your recent campaigns? We release two ranges a year – in the spring and autumn. Our bestselling collections have always been the most illustrative designs featuring hares, birds and trees. Our “Entwined” and “Woodlands” collections being the most popular. I am very excited to be launching a new collection that follows a story from each of these bestselling ranges – inspired by the rings in a tree to create layers and depth in a picture. Which trade fairs do you attend and which ones work best for you? We have attended the Spring fair Birmingham and