Imagine having the idea for the perfect piece of jewellery- the materials, the shapes, the colours that you’ve never seen walking past the jeweller’s window on the high street.

Imagine having that piece of jewellery hand made to your specific specifications. Imagine owning something truly unique. Designed for you don’t just imagine these things, they craft them into reality. From vegan, to retro, to dance jewellery they’re poised and ready to work their magic on your ideas. Maddog’s resident Essex boy Ben Wood likes a bit o’ bling and got talking to Jess Wanless, the founder and owner, about all things precious.

MD: Hi Jess. You guys have everything from vegetarian/ vegan jewellery to Bellydance jewellery. How did you get into this line of work?

DFY: It grew out of making jewellery for myself and others. Then I was asked to be a housemother to 15-18 year old girls and ended up giving jewellery-making classes to anyone between 15- 65yrs. I took about 10 courses in all and made jewellery to commission. Even while the end of term party was going on folk were coming for more tuition and asking me to make things for them to buy and take home.

MD: You’ve said that you are inspired by the area of natural beauty in Lancashire where designed for you is based. Could you ever draw inspiration from an urban environment?

DFY: Oh yes it’s more the forms, colours, shapes, atmosphere, ideas and history. So, although nature has inspiring forms you can still draw from a more urban inspiration. The streets of Liverpool provided a retro muse, the street markets and junk/antique shops in London provided 70s and 80s feel. Then there’s the solid structures- the architecture of Oxford, Bath, Cheltenham, the suspension bridges, the London Eye, workshops, garages, even where they stacked the ice glasses in the ice hotel in Yukkasyarvi – all give ideas.

MD: Price wise, is the art of designed for you accessible to everyone? What are the price ranges?

DFY: From £8 - £90, but the luxury showstoppers are designed for another range entirely giving the opportunity to work with semi-precious and precious metals and materials. Necklaces in this range start at about £100, earrings start at about £50.

MD: Jewellery typically connotes women accessorising, what’s in it for the boys?

DFY: Showing off wealth or strength, (the oldest reasons in the world) self expression, having fun, being individual or fitting in, changing your image for day or night time according to your mood. For example lots of guys wear jewellery on holiday when they’re relaxed and doing different things, or wear something a bit flash to impress on a night out.

MD: Designed for you boast a vegetarian and vegan range, are you revolutionising jewellery?

DFY: No way –it is just giving choice for those who want to follow their own lifestyle decisions. I’m still looking to be able to launch a fair-trade range, feature beads are easy but getting the basics are difficult. I’d also love to do an environmentally friendly range – so many I see aren’t totally so – but so far that is a dream too.

MD: You’ve recently launched a luxurious range. Do tell.

DFY: Called the showstopper range. This is aimed to give designer luxury to those who don’t want to spend thousands or follow the crowd, but to be themselves.

Many of the pieces are explorations of colour like a canvas. Others explore using materials and ideas from history. Most of the pieces take a long time to make, and use very good quality materials.

Words > Ben Wood

Click to see the Designed 4 You website...