B MEETS ELIN HORGAN
Follow your dreams and buy some modern handcrafted jewellery! Or like Elin follow your dreams and become a jewellery designer, that’s exactly what she did after self teaching herself and attending evening classes before she finally started her brand when she was on maternity leave. Very brave! But this makes sense as her advice to starting a brand is… be brave.
DREAMY JEWELLERY THIS WAY
She now handcrafts all her collection to order in her studio in Bristol, making each piece specially for you. Her collection is simple, but statement and we could wear everything; we love the Small Atomic Hoops for day and the Double Orbit Hoops for dressing up a simple outfit… or making a statement one even jazzier, we love them with the Baum Lasergrid Dress for a retro 70’s vibe. But back to Elin below!
FOLLOW YOUR DREAMS
I actually started planning the brand when I was on maternity leave from my job (in corporate fundraising for a large conservation charity) and launched in 2013. Away from the frenetic pace of office life I realised that I wasn’t really enjoying what I was doing and needed some sort of creative outlet. I’d been going to jewellery & silversmithing evening classes at a local college for a few years and dreamt of making a career out of it. So, I’m largely self-taught but I’d always wanted to be a jewellery designer growing up. At that moment I felt very strongly that I had to follow my dream!
BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY
My brand ethos is ‘beauty in simplicity’ and that’s something I try to follow with every piece that I produce. I love the idea of taking a simple idea or shape and pushing it as far as it can go. B – And it’s simply a yes from us! Everything is just beautiful and so wearable.
#INSPO
Inspiration can come from anywhere and everywhere, in particular for me architecture and the urban environment. I love walking around a city observing the little details – the shape of a window or the pattern on a drain cover. For my latest collection Supernova, I was inspired by the futuristic accessories of Pierre Cardin and Andre Courrages, fusing space age design motifs with my signature clean lines and geometric shapes. I love the sleek shapes of 50s and 60s design, but wanted to give them a modern twist.
HANDMADE, HIGH STANDARD, HIGH TIME
All of my work is handmade by me in my studio and I make every piece to order. Most of my designs are made from square section silver wire which I cut and form before soldering the various components together. This is actually the quickest part of the process, as it then takes ages to file and finish the pieces to a high standard. I think people who appreciate handmade pieces understand the hours that go into making them will inevitably be reflected in the price. B – We love the fact that most of our jewellery brands hand made to order, it makes it that bit special to us to know someone is individually handcrafted your piece, and it’s not just a mass produced high-street line everyone can pick up.
SHUT THE FRONT DOOR
I love getting completely absorbed in the making process. It’s something you can’t rush and so the whole thing can be quite calming even when the pressure is on. It’s great to shut the door to the studio, put the radio on and just totally get in the zone. The hardest parts are not having anyone else to bounce ideas off. I love being my own boss as I hate other people telling me what to do, but sometimes you need it! B – Agree!
B BRAVE
I listened to a great interview with designer Debbie Millman recently. She was talking about how confidence can be a bit overrated and only really comes from doing something for a long time. Her view was that what you needed was to be brave. So, I guess that’s my advice…be brave…. you can do it! B – Yes you can do it! We’ve had many a breakdown and time of thinking we can’t do this, but look it’s happened, this is a live site with lovely stuff to buy!
