IJL Announce The Ten New Talented KickStarters for 2017

“These KickStart designers are on-trend, showing exceptional creative flair, and are to be congratulated on their success in being chosen. They are a very innovative group who I know will all benefit from this unique commercial launch pad. I am also sure many will go on to become familiar names in the industry - as many of their renowned KickStart predecessors have done, including Imogen Belfield, Clarice Price Thomas, Claire English and Kristjan Eyjolfsson, to name but a few.”  

Lindsey Straughton, NAJ Jewellery Industry Promotions Ambassador adds,

“It gives me great pleasure to be involved in the selection and mentoring of this year’s ten debuting designers via the KickStart initiative. They have been chosen for their fresh, on-trend, commercially viable designs alongside the ever popular IJL Designer Gallery needs, so that you can find new ways of growing your business. "

The 2017 KickStart line-up revealed:  

Farrah Al-Dujaili, Oddical  

Oddical is the creation of Farrah Al-Dujaili, a graduate of the School of Jewellery in Birmingham. Oddical is an emerging British jewellery brand that adores the quirky and the individual, with the mantra ‘Wear Oddical. Be Oddical’. The debut collection has taken inspiration from plant and skeletal structures to create eye-catching statement earrings that have the appearance of being made in precious metals, without the weight. Each pair of quirky, lightweight earrings are 3D printed in nylon, plated in 22ct gold and finished with hand painted details.  

“It’s great to have the collection acknowledge by industry experts as having the potential to succeed and it has come at the perfect time to push Oddical forward into the wider jewellery industry. I’m excited for the future and all the opportunities that may come as a result of being selected as a Kickstarter,” says Farrah. 

Alice Barnes  
Born in London, Alice has always been influenced by the strong architectural lines that surrounded her whilst growing up. She now draws complex beauty from the simplest of forms to make elegant, contemporary jewellery with meticulous attention to detail. Her work is influenced by the cuts, folds and repetition used in paper art, and draws on lines, angles and repetitive shapes for inspiration.  Alice's collections originate from a playful exercise in which she limited her materials to a small square of silver sheet. By carefully piercing, forming and sometimes combining squares, she realised that just as in origami there were endless possibilities, and this was the beginning of her debut ‘Square Roots’ range. Her latest collection ‘Pleated’ continues to be inspired by paper art, but to get the sharp folds and weighty quality she wanted Alice returned to her first love of wax carving and the ancient lost wax process. She carefully hand carves each section front and back to create elegant linear pieces with a touch of art deco sophistication.  

Alice comments: “There are some things that I have dreamt of doing ever since I started my own business back in 2014, and this is definitely one of them. Having worked in the jewellery industry for 13 years I’ve visited IJL quite a few times now - as a buyer or designer for other small businesses - so it will be a real thrill to finally stand on the other side of the display this September!”  

Becky Dockree  
Becky Dockree is influenced by a passion for pattern and form. She uses traditional etching techniques to display these ideas and create eye-catching designs. Becky has a sculptural background, graduating from the Sir John Cass School of Art and Design. Inspirations from this time have been introduced into her jewellery practice, taking her past sculptural projects to a new audience. Her etched designs originate from a series of paintings, which focus on the female form. These forms have been manipulated to create symmetrical patterns which rotate and spiral across the metals surface. Her recent collection ‘Inked’ has evolved the idea of pattern and form with the creation of hand carved bodies from wax that display her intricate patterns. She combines these ideas with the use of precious metals and gemstones. Each piece is carefully handmade in her London studio.  

Adds Becky: “Being chosen for KickStarter 2017 is an important endorsement of my brand. I have been busy working on new pieces and am grateful that these have been recognised within the industry. I am looking forward to making new retail connections at home and internationally and to showcasing my work with the other designers this September.”  

Raliegh Goss  
Raliegh started her jewellery journey silversmithing at the Sir John Cass Faculty of Art. The ASTRAEUS collection, a multi coloured diamond jewellery collection, takes its name from the Greek god of the stars.  The Astraeus Ring shoots it’s glistening branches of gold and diamonds around the finger. This white gold ring is adorned with yellow and white diamonds of round and pear shapes with diamond pave that gradually turns into intense yellow to accent the flick of the stars tail. Raliegh Goss was established in 2016 with her partner Angus Law. All manufacturing is entirely in-house bar the stone setting. In January 2017, the Inaugural Casino Collection was launched, inspired by the evocative motifs of a set of cards: Clubs, Spades, Hearts and Diamonds are the focus of each piece in the collection. Their latest collection, Shield, is launching this July, a contemporary fine gold collection inspired by the geometrics of Egyptian jewels. 

“We are thrilled to have been chosen as one of the 10 up-and-coming Designers in our first year. It’s a wonderful commendation to be recognised by the Industries Top Peers,”  says Raliegh.  

Emily Kidson  
Emily Kidson is a jeweller whose layered, intuitively designed jewels marry bold materials with traditional craftsmanship. Known for her use of laminate with silver, wood and resin, Kidson makes every piece of jewellery by hand in her London studio. Colour is central to her work and is the backdrop to a minimal, modern aesthetic with areas of intricate detail. Each piece is the culmination of an immersive creative process and her inspiration comes from anywhere and everywhere, whether a quickly-captured image or the careful contemplation of a painting. Nature, art and architecture are particular influences. Kidson studied 3D Crafts (wood, metal, ceramics and plastics) at the University of Brighton and has exhibited widely across the UK and increasingly abroad. 

Emily comments: “I am so excited to have been selected for IJL KickStart 2017! It is my first trade show and I look forward to showcasing my jewellery to a new audience at such a prestigious event.” 

Lucy Spink Jewellery  
Every piece of jewellery is handcrafted in Lucy’s workshop in Cornwall. She is fascinated by how closely our lives were once bound to the rhythms of nature and uses a small element of gold in her pieces to represent the importance of the natural environment. The techniques Lucy uses are ones that have remained unchanged for hundreds of years and she use traditional tools from her grandfather’s workshop to keep her anchored to her inspiration. She allows marks left during the making of each piece to remain as an integral part of the surface. This gives the wearer a glimpse of the processes involved and the time taken in creating handmade jewellery. 

Lucy says: "Winning a place in the IJL 2017 Kickstart programme is going to have a huge effect on me and my business and will help me to move into a new market place. This is a great launch pad for my business to reach a much wider audience and to make some great new contacts and friends." 

Claire Macfarlane  

Originally having studied sculpture, Claire manipulates her materials beyond conventional means and this has been recognized with industry awards. Visually, she is drawn to structural forms and patterns - in architecture or wherever they may be. As she says: “I can’t go for a walk without taking a snap of an interesting fence!” Design inspiration for her Spin Me Around collection came from “letting loose on a traditional lathe”; the contoured elements then fashioned into bold, modern designs with inverted patterns and striking silhouettes. The highly polished finish emphasizes the form and reflects the precise, clean nature of lathe work. The result is a collection that is strong, feminine and curvaceous for night or day. 

“I am so thrilled about this opportunity to exhibit at IJL and launch my next collection there. The KickStart showcase celebrates design-led jewellery which I’m very proud to be a part of,” adds Claire. 

Rhona McCallum 

Rhona McCallum is a Glasgow based jewellery designer and a graduate of Edinburgh College of Art. She regularly exhibits her jewellery collections throughout the UK and abroad, including Goldsmiths’ Fair in London and, most recently, at LOOT - the annual retail exhibition of contemporary jewellery at the Museum of Arts and Design in New York. Inspired by geology, ancient history and our ever changing landscapes, Rhona creates statement jewellery in silver and gold that combines rugged, natural textures with bold, sculptural forms. 

“Every year the standard in the Kickstart line up is so high, so it’s a real honour to have been recognised at this level. It’s wonderful to have the support of IJL and the NAJ in this exciting next step for my business, and I can’t wait to show my new designs to the IJL audience in September. It’s definitely going to be a busy few months!” says Rhona. 

Ana Simoes, Muscari Jewellery  
The grand-daughter of a goldsmith, Ana Simoes followed the only career she knew would spark her passion. She trained as a jeweller and gem setter and graduated from the BA (Hons) Jewellery course at The Sir John Cass School of Art, Architecture and Design - London Metropolitan University. She designs and creates jewellery in precious metals and gemstones and her aim is to merge traditional jewellery making techniques with a modern aesthetic. Her brand, Muscari Jewellery, is characterised by thought-provoking design and attention to the finest details. Muscari Jewellery’s collections are inspired by the richness of Ana’s home country's history, landscape and architecture, particularly by its connection to the sea and the unknown. All her jewellery pieces are handmade at Ana’s studio in London and encapsulate essential qualities that are at the heart of her work - meticulous craftsmanship and an intricate preciousness that can be seen and felt within every piece. 

Ana adds: “I am absolutely delighted to have been chosen for KickStart 2017. It is an honour to be part of such a great initiative and have my work recognised by other professionals. I am sure it will contribute immensely to the development of my business.” 

Heather Woof  
Heather Woof creates subtle, refined yet distinctive jewellery in silver and gold. Inspired by pattern and structure, Heather's designs are characterised by clean lines and sculptural forms. Each piece is handcrafted from her Edinburgh studio with a focus on detail and beautiful craftsmanship. Heather designs with the wearer in mind, creating pieces that embody everyday simplicity and understated elegance. Trained at Edinburgh College of Art, Heather has a passion for making, referencing ancient techniques to create contemporary forms. She has won multiple awards for her work, including a gold award from the prestigious 'Goldsmiths Craftsmanship and Design Awards 2016'. She has exhibited internationally, including shows in New York, Seoul, Paris and exhibits regularly throughout the UK. 

Heather comments: “I am thrilled to be selected for IJL's KickStart programme 2017. IJL will provide the perfect platform to launch my latest collection and connect with press, stockists and clients. Being selected for the Kickstart programme is an honour!” 

Read about KickStart and the Industry Choice Award at:  www.jewellerylondon.com/kickstart  

Image credits: jewellerylondon.com