She looks too young to be the head designer of the oldest jewellery house in the world. But Georgina Skan has mastered the art of creating collections that are contemporary yet timeless and rooted in Garrard's history and heritage.
‘Fantastic'
“It is fantastic to be connected with a brand that has a history going back to 1735. I take inspiration from the designs in our archives, many of which were done for royalty.
But it is also scary to have this responsibility of taking the brand forward into the future. I am conscious that everything I do has to be the best and must live up to the high standards of quality, craftsmanship, creativity and timelessness associated with Garrard,'' said Skan.
The designer was in Dubai for an exclusive showing of Garrard's latest jewellery collection at Azal in the Jumeirah Emirates Towers Boulevard.
Titled Hummingbird, the collection includes exquisite pieces that capture the beauty and graceful movements of the tiny birds.
Skan enthusiastically showed me her sketch book with her detailed hand drawings and the many wax models that were part of the creative process for this collection.
‘Incredible creatures'
“Hummingbirds are amazing, incredible creatures. I fell in love with them on a trip to Jamaica and wanted to capture them in jewels. It was extremely challenging to create pieces that caught the birds in flight and it took my team of designers and craftsmen a long time to get it right,'' said Skan.
The collection, which has been brought to Dubai just a week after its exclusive preview in London, includes pendants, earrings and bracelets depicting humming birds, flowers and butterflies studded with pink and blue sapphires, beryl and pink, yellow, brown and white diamonds.
“I wanted to take this capsule collection of 19 pieces personally to our special clients around the world so that I could explain to them the ideas behind the designs and get their feedback before developing the collection further,'' said Skan.
“Unlike many of our collections that include jewellery pieces for men, I wanted this to be a collection exclusively for women with delicate, feminine, colourful pieces,'' she added.
Cutting edge
Skan has always been interested in art and tried painting, ceramics and photography before discovering the joy of working with metal. After graduating from Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design in London with specialisation in jewellery design, she worked with many well-known jewellery brands before joining Garrard seven years ago.
She worked on several collections with then creative director Jade Jagger. “Working with Jade was fun because she was always on the cutting edge. She follows fashion closely and is very good at predicting trends,'' said Skan.
But she admitted that besides keeping an eye on the colours for the season, she does not follow trends.
“My vision for Garrard is to create pieces that are heirlooms for future generations,'' said Skan.
“My collections always begin with ideas based on what I would love to wear. While designing the pieces I visualise them on my sister who is an actress and my friends who are successful career women,'' she added.
On her first trip here, Skan is particularly impressed by the women in Dubai.
“Women here are discreet but have the confidence to wear large pieces. It is gratifying to know that they appreciate the lightness and delicate workmanship of our brand,'' she said.
Your chance to see the collection
The exclusive Garrard collection of 19 pieces was showcased in London last week. It will be on display at Azal's flagship store at Emirates Towers Boulevard until Sunday, after which it travels to Hong Kong.
Some of the jewellery, such as an exquisite bracelet, includes unique one-off pieces that will not be made again. The collection will be officially launched worldwide in May.
Celebs love it!
Besides catering to royalty, Garrard has also been a favourite brand of celebrities from the world of films, music and fashion.
The stars, who wore Garrard at the recent Fashion for Relief event in London, hosted by Naomi Campbell, included Faye Dunaway, Jamelia, Naomi Campbell, Sarah Ferguson and Princess Beatrice.
Crown jewels
Established in 1735, Garrard is the oldest jewellery house in the world. In 1843 Queen Victoria created the title of Crown Jeweller and bestowed it upon Garrard.
The jewellery house has created crowns and regalia for the British monarchs including resetting of the Koh-I-Noor diamond and the mounting of the 530-carat Cullinan diamond in the Sovereign's sceptre.
Other prestigious Garrard commissions include the America's Cup and private state and museum collections around the world.
