Stylish and feminine, the jewellery pieces of All Blues are intricate personifications of both art and craftsmanship; a true indication of the direction in which the modern-day jewellery market is moving towards. Founded in 2010 by old friends Fredrik Nathorst and Jacob Skragge, the All Blues duo were in need of jewellery that they would want for themselves. They found that the then market missed the awareness of creating jewellery that not only incorporated a beautiful collection, but also a lifestyle, a new way of looking at branding and packaging, a niche product that is the ‘new’. Discovering the need to transform personal experiences into jewellery in the most reduced way, All Blues was born.
With personal inspiration from artists Franco Albini, Uta Barth, Jan Groover and Thomas Houseago, it is obvious that All Blues is more than just a brand. I spoke to them to delve into what makes All Blues a key competitor within the industry that they have set themselves within: “We see a spot in the market. A somewhat simplification of the reality but is still kind of accurate to describe how we see the jewellery market in general; classic and heritage monster brands on the one side. They all look and feel the same. It’s corporate, glossy and un-personal. For example, if you hold your hand over the logo in a campaign you can’t tell what brand it is. In a dream world, our customer is a woman or man who wants a break the mould of purchasing a traditional piece of jewellery from a classic brand and wants to invest in modern and different product of great quality.”
Fashion seems a very integral partnership with the brand image of All Blues, I discussed who the brand would choose to collaborate with if they were given the option. “Depends on what the goal is with the partnership, it’s quite of a difficult question because I see so many different ways of doing a collaboration” mused Jacob, “It could be partnering up with another brand, like we did with Acne Studios for SS15 and be part of their seasonal selling cycle (which we otherwise don’t do), or approach an artist and integrate her or his work into our world. Personally, I like (clothing) brands such as Jacquemus, Lemaire, Our Legacy, The Row, Totême, Acne Studios, Céline, Craig Green. They all have clear identities and are strong in various creative fields.”
In terms of creation, the process of designing such unique and elegant pieces is one of thought and artistic awareness. The All Blues duo first explain the feel and mood they wished to create around the collection. “I see our jewellery as objects you buy to own for a long time, so it becomes very important for the jewellery to give the wearer a sense of confidence and longevity.” All Blues go onto describe the process of their product development by recounting how “It often begins very personal and sometimes in a private way. A terrible Sunday morning with eggs all over the floor or the need to fulfil your recently deceased grandmother’s’ wishes can spark an idea” suggests Fredrik “The design and craft process then becomes a very natural way of executing the direction.” With this the two designers go on to share how they choose to create pieces that their clients would desire to collect “Jewellery is one of the most personal items one can have, and we always see them as gifts, regardless of if you’re getting an item for someone else or yourself. It is always a gift. And the word collectable to me is the description of a perfect gift.”
It is easy to see that the All Blues brand is one of modernity and style, and is a brand that is keeping up with the times and indeed, what their clientele would want to buy now. But where does the brand see itself within five years’ time? “All I wish for is to be able to look back and feel that we have built something meaningful” expressed Fredrik. “Both in terms of creative output but most importantly being a symbolic part of many people’s lives and relationships.”
Words by Jasmine Banbury
Photographer: Rio-Romaine
Hair and Make up: Claire Ray
Model: Dara S @ Premier Models
