I've decided there may be something wrong with me.
I don't seem to have much interest in looking elegant.
Not in the traditional sense, anyway.
I like colour.
I like sparkle.
I like big earrings.
I like jewellery that catches your eye from across the room.
I like things that are a little bit odd.
And occasionally, I like jewellery that is completely bloody ridiculous.
Which is probably not the best business model for someone who is supposed to be selling jewellery.
But there we are.
Apparently, we're all meant to be understated
There seems to be an awful lot of advice around these days about looking effortlessly chic.
Neutral colours.
Simple gold jewellery.
Classic pieces.
Timeless.
Understated.
Quiet luxury.
Everything looking as though it cost a fortune but nobody is supposed to notice.
I'm sure it's lovely.
But I have questions.
What if I want you to notice?
What if I want the earrings to be enormous?
What if I want the necklace to have a ridiculous amount of colour?
What if I think a bit of glitter improves almost everything?
What if my jewellery doesn't quietly complete the outfit?
What if the jewellery IS the outfit?
I've never really understood “just one statement piece”
I see the logic.
One statement necklace.
Keep everything else simple.
Let the jewellery do the talking.
Fair enough.
But what if the earrings have something to say too?
And the bracelet?
And possibly the brooch?
At what point does it stop being styling and become a cry for help?
I'm not sure.
I'm willing to find out.
Perhaps this is why I like making jewellery
The more I think about it, the more I realise that I don't particularly want to make jewellery that everybody thinks is beautiful.
I'd quite like to make jewellery that somebody sees and thinks:
“Oh my God. I love that.”
Or:
“That's completely bonkers.”
Or even:
“I have absolutely no idea why I want that, but I really, really do.”
Because that's much more interesting to me.
A pair of earrings inspired by Tayto.
Earrings that can be seen from the other side of the room
Something bright and sparkly made from a piece of jewellery that somebody else had forgotten about.
Things that make you smile.
Things that remind you of something.
Things that start a conversation.
Things that perhaps aren't what you'd normally choose.
And I think that's the point
Jewellery doesn't have to be sensible.
It doesn't have to be an investment.
It doesn't have to go with everything.
It doesn't have to be something you'll still be wearing in thirty years.
Sometimes you might simply like it.
And isn't that enough?
We spend an awful lot of time worrying about whether things are flattering, tasteful, age-appropriate, fashionable, elegant or too much.
Maybe occasionally we should wear the thing because we bloody like it.
If you want to wear enormous earrings with a plain T-shirt, do it.
If you want a ridiculous necklace with your favourite jumper, go for it.
If you want to wear something sparkly on a Tuesday afternoon when you're doing absolutely nothing remotely glamorous, even better.
There doesn't always have to be an occasion.
I think I'm probably a bit “more”
Which is perhaps why RainbowRegalia has ended up the way it has.
It's colourful.
It's nostalgic.
It's always kitsch.
It's sometimes a little bit ridiculous.
And there are very few things I make that I'd describe as quiet.
That's not because I think everyone should wear big, colourful jewellery.
Quite the opposite.
Wear whatever you bloody like.
Minimalist? Lovely.
Tiny gold studs? Gorgeous.
A delicate little chain? Absolutely.
You don't have to wear something enormous to have fun with jewellery.
But if you want to wear the enormous earrings?
I'm here for you.
Because maybe elegant isn't the goal
Maybe the goal is feeling like yourself.
Maybe sometimes that's a tiny gold necklace.
Maybe sometimes it's a pair of earrings the size of small dinner plates.
Maybe it's something sentimental.
Maybe it's something ridiculous.
Maybe it's something that makes you feel a bit more you when you put it on.
And perhaps that's what I really like about jewellery.
It's not actually about looking elegant.
It's about giving yourself permission to be a little bit more you.
Even if “you” happens to involve earrings that can be seen from the other side of the room.
And if that isn't elegant, frankly, I'm not sure I care.
0 comments