By Rachel Garrahan in LA
The designers who make up Rock Vault 2014 - a British Fashion Council initiative created to nurture young UK jewellery talent - took their collections on the road last week.
For the second year in a row, their mentor Stephen Webster shared his exhibition space at The Couture Show with the nine designers, including Ornella Iannuzzi, Alice Cicolini, Jo Hayes Ward, Yunus and Eliza, and Imogen Belfield.
Stephen believes the design-focussed show is the perfect environment for the talented designers - whose varied work includes Jacqueline Cullen's modern jet and gold sculptures and Melanie Georgacopoulos' twist on pearls - to develop their business internationally.
"Everyone worth their salt is at Couture. It's a chance for these young designers to meet buyers from around the world, and other designers. It's a very friendly show," he says.
It was Brazilian-born, London-based Fernando Jorge's second time at the fair and he took home one of its prestigious awards, in the coloured gemstones under $20,000 category, for his Fusion Cycle earrings in rose gold with rubies, rhodolites and amethyst.
Tomasz Donocik, who won two Couture awards last year, also returned with his new collection of bold, edgy pieces that include his dragonfly across-the-finger ring.
Rock Vault then moved on to Los Angeles, where the designers brought a dash of London cool to Rodeo Drive with a cocktail party and pop-up store at Stephen's Beverly Hills boutique.
Stephen plans for this to the first of many international events for Rock Vault:
"After a second hugely successful show in Las Vegas, we are excited to show Rock Vault for the first time outside of the UK to the public. Going forward Rock Vault will show in very select venues around the world," he says. The question is, where it will come to first?
In the meantime, the Rock Vault collections are available on new, private luxury e-tailer Crest & Co (crestandco.com), which offers access to some of the rarest and most unique brands in the world, until September.
