When I was little, I used to go through my mother’s jewellery box. She had an incredible collection of trinkets and treasures from her travels: pieces of beautiful Greek jewellery, intricate charms from India, bohemian jewels from ‘70s London and so much more.
Again, I’d have to say my mother; she’s someone I’ve always been - and always will be - inspired by. But I also can’t forget Princess Diana. Her big bold jewels in the ‘80s are a huge inspiration for me and I love that we’re seeing this style come back this season – it's very on trend and we’ve tried to recreate that look in the Z Limited Collection.
It was never actually the plan... I was studying Fine Art but making beaded Swarovski jewellery on the side and selling it to small fashion stores. But when Stephen Webster launched his ‘Crystal Haze’ collection, I became fascinated by jewellery. I decided to change my path and pursue a degree in Jewellery Design at Central St. Martins, before being lucky enough to end up working for Stephen Webster! It was a real full circle moment.
One of my most cherished pieces is a cuff I made with my children’s birthstones and names. You’ll always catch me wearing this, along with a ring I made with a poem written by my sister about my brother engraved on it.
I love old jewellery – especially pieces from Greece and Italy. It’s always so rich in texture and detail, which is something I try to recreate with Z by Accessorize. When I’m sketching, I also find myself inspired by my trips to Jaipur over the years. Everything from the beautiful gemstones to the shapes in architecture serves as constant inspiration for my collections.
