SMITH/GREY is a young jewellery brand based in London and founded by designer Birgit Marie Schmidt and creative strategist Sofus Graae. Together they have won many awards and crafted collections inspired by creativity, that are not only made to the highest standard, but are intriguing, wearable, little pieces of art. It was their first collection for women, I Can’t Seem To Get Rid Of The Horses, that caught my attention and the latest, entitled Peculiar Things, that cemented that interest.
What initiated your love of jewellery?
The idea of creating stories in small scale using precious materials for individuals who long for wearable artifacts to express their personality.
Tell me a little about both of your backgrounds…
Birgit grew up in Vienna, Austria so she used to read Freud’s dream analysis and lots of Kafka which definitely influences her way of visualising her thoughts. She studied architecture before studying goldsmithing at the Royal College of Art.
Sofus is from Copenhagen, Denmark with a background in graphic design and came to London to work on visual effects for feature films which he was educated in at Vancouver Film School.
Together we have a wide-ranged background in the creative fields, which means it never gets one-sided.
How did SMITH/GREY come about?
We met years ago and from very early on there was an interesting creative chemistry between us. Back then, it was very natural for us to discuss or dream up ideas or thoughts that we had come up with or discovered. This collective curiosity for more was a big factor in us wanting to work together, which led to establishing SMITH/GREY.
What was the initial inspiration behind the brand?The shared excitement to create something personal as well as a need to express our ideas. We were envisioning a brand that takes its customers on an inspired journey through our jewellery, stories and imagery.
Would you say that SMITH/GREY is a combined reflection of your personal styles?
Yes, very much so. We have a similar taste and style when it comes to the aspect of the brand and products. We combine our ideas and abstract what we believe works best. Having your own brand gives you the freedom to create from your very own point of view, which is one of the greatest things for a designer.
Birgit, how did it feel to win the Theo Fennell ‘best in jewellery’ prize?
It made me extremely happy! Theo Fennell is one of the great jewellery designers and to have him compliment my work, which I have been working on quietly on my bench for months, made me feel quite humble. It was the first praise the designs received during the opening of the RCA Final Show and therefore it meant a lot to me.
Why did you choose London as your brand’s home?Sofus: London really lives up to its reputation as a creative and inspirational hub. It is very natural for us to feel at home here with our different cultural backgrounds, and our creative network keeps fueling our passion to create new designs and experiences for our customers.
How would you describe your creative process? Does it vary when designing for men or women?
We begin by designing for ourselves and then test the creative energy and potential in the ideas against what we think our audience would find interesting.
Birgit, who is mainly focusing on the collections for women, tends to be quite playful in both theme and shapes which is great as these collections are usually broader in range, encompassing both statement and everyday designs.
The men we design for often favour style icons with strong personalities when looking for inspiration. This means we have a different set of challenges when designing for them but something we enjoy equally.
Are there any jewellery designers you look up to or take inspiration from?
There are many talented and inspirational jewellery designers out there but largely the inspiration comes from adjacent creative realms such as filmmakers, architects, writers and painters. We gain more inspiration from someone’s energy and storytelling than from the actual work itself.
What does 2013 have in store for SMITH/GREY?
We have two new A/W13 collections in development. Both collections are due to be presented in spring 2013 so stay tuned for the new styles.
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