The young designer making waves in the fine jewellery market

From Harper's BAZAAR

Each week, we look into an exciting and innovative label that is taking the fashion world by storm in our regular feature #TheBrand. This time, we’re turning the spotlight on luxury jewellery designer, Lily Kamper.

Inspired by the use of unusual materials that represent modern luxury, the label is fast making a name for itself in the fine jewellery market. Here we break down everything you need to know about the brand.

Origins

Lily Kamper started her namesake, London-based label straight after graduating from the Royal College of Art. She had the aim of creating contemporary jewellery that was made from unusual materials, including resin and perspex. Her love of colour through these collections also translates into the fine jewellery ranges, including her engagement and wedding ring collections and other bespoke designs. These pieces are created from 18ct gold, diamonds, sapphires, emeralds, solid marble and stone columns.

"The inspiration behind the collections has always been the same, to create sculptural pieces combining unusual material combinations," Kamper tells us. "I wanted them to be elegantly bold pieces that need no embellishment."

Kamper says that jewellery wasn't necessarily her only focus, but time and time again, it cropped up in her collections and so this very naturally progressed to becoming her sole job.

"While I studied fashion and textiles for my degree and masters I was always focused on combining unusual materials and I would continue to create jewellery alongside every collection. It wasn't necessarily a plan to start a career in jewellery but just something that came very naturally and I am so lucky it has progressed into my job."

Kamper was able to start her business almost as soon as she graduated after an opportunity to show in Paris presented itself through a friend.

"I quickly put together a collection as I had sold all my pieces from my final show," she recalls. "We set up a show room in Paris and was lucky to meet some excellent buyers and then when I returned to London, I met with Liberty and YBD who both bought my first collection and then it just grew from there."

Why is everyone talking about it?

Although Kamper's business remains relatively small – which is the nature of creating bespoke, made-to-order jewellery – the name is fast becoming one to watch in her market. Part of the reason for this is because she is creating something very different to traditional jewellery and this is certainly in line with a movement that is happening in the market – and with engagement rings particularly – as people strive for something unusual.

"People seem to always come to me for something original and it does seem that there is a real desire for something unique now, especially for such a significant piece of jewellery that you are going to wear forever."

The designer describes the Lily Kamper customer as: "Someone who appreciates detail, wants to make a statement, is interested in design – they want to be unique and maybe take some risks."

What goes into creating a bespoke engagement ring?

When it comes to her engagement ring business, Kamper says that it is split right down the middle which half of the couple will come to her to create something special.

"For me it is pretty fifty/fifty, sometimes I am working directly with one half of the couple to create the ring as a surprise (or a semi-surprise as often they have been pointed in my direction) and other times I will work closely with a couple on the full wedding set of rings."

The process is complicated and can take months, she explains, as they work together to create a perfect ring that will hopefully be worn every day for the rest of the client's life.

"If I am working with a client then it normally starts with a meeting at my studio where we chat about the various stone and design options. I also chat to clients over Skype as I could be making a piece for someone in the US or Australia.

"Then once I have an idea of the kind of piece I am going to be designing, I will source some stone options and do some rough sketches. This is then discussed with the client and a stone choice is made before the designs can be refined and the final one is chosen.

"Then it is all down to the making of the final piece which can take around two months as my designs can be quite complex. Then once it is all finally polished and ready I can hand it over to the client."

What's next?

Kamper has achieved so much in a relatively short space of time, but her career highlight so far, she says, came last London Fashion Week when she was selected among other young fashion designers to show the Queen her latest collection.

Other than having Beyoncé wear one of her pieces, Kamper says her next goal is just to keep doing more of the same – exciting collaborations and inventive collections.

"I have so many plans for the brand, a really exciting and probably quite unexpected collaboration coming up which I can't wait to share," she says. "And I will be adding some new designs to my range of semi-bespoke engagement rings, unusual architectural pieces where you can choose your own colour palette of stones."

For more information or to shop Lily Kamper designs, head this way. Prices range from around £150 for a single earring, £225 for a necklace to around £2,000 for a bespoke engagement ring.

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