Designer Turns Art into Luxury

Lyudmila

Lodichka Couture Jewellery the woman behind this up and coming brand is Lyudmila, a very dynamic jewellery artist. She is based in London and she most certainly has one creative mind. The jewellery she makes is always a one of a kind piece of art, which always makes for a special piece of jewellery indeed.

I think Lyudmila has a unique point of view when it comes to her creations, she has ‘a passion for art and vintage designs and loves finding rare antique metals and gem stone of all shapes and sizes’. 

Lyudmila’s jewellery looks exquisite. What caught my eye the most whilst looking at her work, was the beautiful sketches and detailing that goes into each piece of her work. With this elegant yet inventive jewellery, let me tell you Lyudmila will be taking her online boutique to the top. Although Lodichka Couture Jewellery has been open for what is just a little over a year now, Lyudmila has really achieved a great deal in her business.

Fashion Loving, inspired by all of the lovely creativeness got in touch with Lyudmila to ask a few questions about her online boutique!

FL: When did you know you wanted to become a jewellery artist?



LCJ: It came to me slowly, I started making jewellery for myself first with the feeling that I simply couldn’t find anything that I liked in the shops. I didn’t make anything to sell for a very long time, as I always got really attached to my jewellery and I know that I can’t replace it. The pieces I use are one offs and the gemstones which are used can’t be found again. But being a big fan of online shopping myself, I decided to open an online boutique 🙂



FL: What inspires you and your jewellery designs?



LCJ: Anything can be an inspiration… nature, fashion, movies, people, books, art…

FL: How long does it take to create a piece of jewellery from start to finish?


LCJ: Sometimes more time goes into the designing and sometimes creating a piece takes longer than the design. 
That depends on the piece of jewellery that I’m designing and making. Some of them take very long as I’m looking for the right material, colours and texture. A lot of care goes into my creations I spend hours, days and sometimes months ensuring that I produce jewellery of the highest quality!

FL: What are those lovely gemstones you use when making jewellery?



LCJ: I have a confession to make, I’m an “unique gemstone hunter” , I’m always looking for very original forms and colour gemstones, you can see from my jewellery that many one of a kind gemstones have been used. I look for my gemstones worldwide!

FL: What type of person do you design your collection for?



LCJ: She is free, likes to experiment, loves fashion and not afraid to be a centre of all attention, loves original and one of a kind things.

FL: What advice would you give to someone who wants to design?

LCJ: Just  be creative and do it only if you are truly enjoying doing it, as there’s not always a reward for your hard work. I would have given up a long time ago if it wasn’t for purely being passionate for art and design.

FL: Is there anything else that we should be looking out for from you in the near
 future?

LCJ: While last year “Lodichka Couture Jewellery” has grown with more categories, quantities and qualities, I am not planning to stop here.
There is a lot more designs to be completed. I’m planning to launch brooches, hats and fascinators collections as well.

I am so excited to see more of the Lodichka Couture Jewellery!! Check out some of the lovely pieces in the gallery.

You can find Lodichka Couture Jewellery on www.lodichka.com, check it out!!

♥Fashion Loving’s First GIVEAWAY!♥

This week I introduced the lovely Poppy Sparkles who creates lovely pieces of Jewellery. Well guess what… Poppy Sparkles is making another appearance today! Viv Smith, the owner of the Poppy Sparkles has teamed up with Fashion Loving and has kindly agreed to give one of Fashion Loving’s readers a special gift!

“I’m offering the winner a choice of either a Bold Black or a Pillar Box Red Spotilicious Charm Necklace” 

One of you lucky people get a choice of which colour button necklace you want. The necklace has a Swarovski crystal and a freshwater pearl, what more could you ask for?

How to enter to win: 

(you can enter by choosing one or more of the following options below)

1: Simply subscribe to my blog or follow me on BlogLovin’ (if you have an account).

2: Follow me on Twitter or  ‘Like’ me on Facebook

3: Leave a comment  on this post with details of which entries you did.

Simples!!

 

Additional entries: 

1.  Tweet the following: Entered the @fashion_loving @Poppysparkles_  giveaway. Details here: http://wp.me/p12aKz-eW
2.  Facebook the following: Entered the @fashionloving @Poppysparkles giveaway. Details here: http://wp.me/p12aKz-eW

The competition will close 12th June 2011, the winner will be announced 14th June 2011. Don’t miss out on this chance!

Good Luck everyone!!

** UPDATE: this giveaway has now closed but be sure to come back for more amazing giveaways!! xo**

Poppy Sparkles

Fashion Loving is all about finding quirky and innovative industry people that bring a little smile to your face. This week we found the lovely Poppy Sparkles! Poppy Sparkles is a online jewellery store that we think creates miniature pieces of art. The woman behind the store is Viv Smith, she’s the one that creates special pieces of jewellery for anyone wanting something brilliant and unique to wear for any occasion with any outfit! Viv is a self taught jewellery artist and makes all her creations from home, believe it or not!

Fashion Loving had to get in touch with Poppy Sparkles to find out a little bit more about this creative jewellery, so we threw a few questions at Viv Smith and here is what she said!

How long have you been in business for?

Poppy Sparkles was established in March 2010, but in truth I’ve been making and selling jewellery since my early teens. So, although Poppy Sparkles is a new brand, there’s experience behind it.
what inspires you and your jewellery designs?

Primarily I focus on life’s celebrations, so I look to those special moments and try to find a way to capture it in jewellery form.  This can clearly be seen in my Mummy Necklaces and Peace Collection. I also think about the seasons and holidays of the year, so I have a collection of jewellery due to launch at a later date that is for Christmas, including a range of jewellery for accessorising your LBD at all those parties.

Sometimes I just want to incorporate an element or idea, such as my Spotilicious range. I just love those spotty polka dot buttons and thought it was such a quirky range.  The Rainbow bright colours just ooze Summer fun.

What are you as a jewllery artist about?

I want to create pieces that are wearable and accessible.  I love mix ‘n’ match and value for money, which is different from cheap, and why I developed my own charm system.  This allows the wearer to easily remove charms from the necklace and provides numerous ways to wear your charms – endless possibilities for those who are loyal to the Poppy Sparkles brand and can mix charms from other designs. I love items that have meaning and memories associated with them and so I primarily focus on creating pieces that celebrate life.  I only use quality materials such as sterling silver, Swarovski crystal and Freshwater pearls as I intend my pieces of jewellery to be lasting items, to be worn and treasured. Whilst there’s a nod at times to what’s current and ‘on trend’, I endeavour to create pieces that have a timeless quality to them and with my charm system it can be easy to rework a piece and make it current again by changing the colour combinations.

What’s the next step for you?

I’m looking to branch out from selling online and want to see Poppy Sparkles jewellery stocked in some real bricks and mortar shops.

In the future (read: when being a mummy doesn’t take up the lion-share of my time,) I hope to complete some formal silver-smith training and learn how to forge my own components, helping to make my designs even more unique.

When did you know you wanted to become a jewellery artist?

From the moment I made my first pair of earrings in my early teens! I love the sense of achievement that creating something beautiful with your own hands brings, which is then heightened by someone loving your creation so much they purchase it.

What advice would you give someone who wants to design?

Stay true to yourself. The moment I stopped creating just pretty jewellery and moved to designing my charm jewellery that is ‘me’ through and through and very much centred on my own values and likes, I have been both happier in myself and my work.  I have also found that the response to my work is better and so much easier for me to promote as it’s me, not something I’m pretending to be.

Who are some of your fashion influences?

I’m a fan of timeless, classic and elegant designs. I love Freshwater pearls, hence including them in virtually all of my designs, so I have to say that Audrey Hepburn with her classic pearls is one icon I look to. I’m influenced by Pandora, Troll et al with their charm bracelet concept of removable charms, but ultimately, I have tried to find my own style.

What type of person do you design your collection for?

Most popular are my Mummy necklaces, clearly designed for Mummies as a way to celebrate their children with Swarovski birthstone crystals. Overall, my jewellery designs are simple and unfussy, they’re for people who like understated, clean designs. I design for women who appreciate quality jewellery that they can keep, as opposed to cheap costume jewellery that is virtually disposable. My pieces are for people that like to give and receive gifts with meaning, that want jewellery that has memories attached to it, that they can keep and treasure.  In all honesty my ideal customer is someone like me!

How long does it take to create an item from start to finish?

Most of my time is spent in the planning, creating pieces that fulfil the criteria I set – that is, pieces which will last and are not too trend-led, a set of charms that provide several possibilities (work well together, in a combination or individually) and for most of my designs, I ask does it fit with my ethos of jewellery to celebrate life?  I spend a lot of time with an array of materials out working through which colours are just right, what shape and size of bead provides the right look… I’m quite fussy and like to get things right. I’ll keep revisiting design ideas until I feel it is perfect. I have some designs that I’ve been tweaking and working through for a good few weeks, if not longer. I don’t think it helps the number of shades Swarovski manufacture – I hate having to be pinned down to a few colourways, I’d love to use them all in so many different combinations!

Is there anything else that we should be looking out for from you in the near future?

I will be continuing the celebration of life’s special events and holidays in my jewellery, but I will also be launching some designs for wearing at special occasions.  In the near future I’ll be launching a collection perfect for Christmas parties with its rich, jewel-like colours and expanding on the current items I offer with the addition of coordinating hairpins. I hope to expand on the idea of jewellery for special occasions in 2012, providing jewellery that is well suited to bridesmaids and wedding or party guests. I would also like to build on my bespoke design service and am looking to launch a more couture range of jewellery with hand-wired strands of pearls and crystals – very special jewellery for very special occasions.

What do you think of the Poppy Sparkle brand?

You can find Poppy Sparkles here: 

1. Facebook – www.facebook.com/poppysparkles
2. Twitter – www.twitter.com/poppysparkles_
3. Website — www.poppysparkles.co.uk 

A watch with a bit of Fashion?

Roberto Cavalli has once again set the bar that little bit higher with the recent new Timewear collection of fabulous watches. It’s all about the luxurious feel with this brand and they haven’t failed to deliver! I love the fact that these pieces are the ultimate fashion statement and then if you look closer, they are watches! A perfect classic piece for the ladies to add your own collection.

This black and white timewear piece is my favorite! Looks gorgeous!

You can find the rest of this collection on the Roberto Cavalli website.

What do you think of these Timewear pieces?

1. http://store.robertocavalli.com

Clever Jewellery

During my long internet travels I found this awwsome website that creates one off jewellery designs. The online store is called Hairy Growler and they basically make their jewellery out of 100% recycled materials that are sterling silver. They use items such as Victorian fork and spoons dining table sets and old English coins.

I absolutely love this necklace made out of old coins, never mind the fact that it is absolute genius craftmanship but it is also a great piece to rock for that well anticipated Royal Wedding, I would totally get this!

Wahh who would have thought that you could turn a fork into a bangle!!

Now I was looking at the pieces of jewellery that have been created, I couldn’t help but wonder how they were made, lucky for me I stumbled across this step by step picture that actually shows you how they make their jewellery. I am really fasciniated by their work, if only I could turn my old cutlery into some hot new pieces of jewellery! Great creativity!

Photo Soure

1. http://www.hairygrowler.co.uk

Second Time Around

“Recycling never looked so good.” says Chavia Logan, CEO of Cha-Lo, and I am inclined to agree. Forget hours of sorting through gross tins, forget bin bags fill of clinking bottles, forgetting lugging it all down to your local recycling centre and the strike of terror when you wonder ‘did I put paper in with the glass?!’ and think colourful, think unique, think fun and think pop art-esque.
Cha-Lo has recently released an environmentally friendly collection called Eco-Lo, where all the items of jewellery are made from natural and recycled materials.

Imagine not only can you read your favourite magazine, you could be wearing it too!   All the pieces are bright and colourful and had have a certain pop art/Warhol look about them which I find very endearing and very fun. Each jewellery piece is one of a kind, so you will never find anyone with something the same and they all have two coats of varnish to make them water resistant so  – unless you insist on consistently going swimming them on – the piece of jewellery is suitable for wear in almost any environment!

I think it is great that others are following in the footsteps of Vivienne Westwood and taking an interest in the environment with regards to the fashion they are producing, and I think this jewellery range is not only considerate to our planet but a boisterous and fun accessory to any summer outfit.

“Recycling never looked so good.” says Chavia Logan, CEO of Cha-Lo, and i am inclined to agree. Forget hours of sorting through gross tins, forget bin bags fill of clinking bottles, forgetting lugging it all down to your local recycling centre and the strike of terror when you wonder ‘did i put paper in with the glass?!’ and think colourful, think unique, thin fun and think pop art-esque.

Cha-Lo has recently released an environmentally friendly collection called Eco-Lo, where all the items of jewellery are made from natural and recycled materials. Imagine not only can you read your favourite magazine, you could be wearing it too! All the pieces are bright and colourful and had have a certain pop art/Warhol look about them which i find very endearing and very fun. Each jewellery piece is one of a kind, so you will never find anyone with something the same and they all have two coats of varnish to make them water resistant so  – unless you insist on consistently going swimming them on – the piece of jewellery is suitable for wear in almost any environment!

I think it is great that others are following in the footsteps of Vivienne Westwood and taking an interest in the environment with regards to the fashion they are producing, and i think this jewellery range is not only considerate to our planet but a boisterous and fun accessory to any summer outfit.