The Giftware Association has a longstanding relationship with the British Craft Trade Fair, which together choose an exhibitor’s company whose products really stand out and to award them with The GA Award of Excellence at the show.
With BCTF in its second digital incarnation the companies exhibiting had really taken their time to showcase their products and really stand out. The eye catching colors and designs of Nadege Honey caught the eye of the judges and were awarded the coveted Award of excellence prize.
Chris Workman, PR & Marketing Manager for The GA briefly caught up with Nadege to find out more about her business, her products and inspirations for the designs.
Chris: How long have you been in business and have you attended BCTF before?
Nadege: I have been in this business for 13 years, designing bold contemporary jewelry with bright strong colours. I now work from my workshop in Northampton. I was originally a linguist and worked across various luxury brands, though I come from a creative family so designing and making has always been a part of me. I have exhibited at BCTF as well as Top Drawer, another design led show.
Chris: Fantastic, I guess language is quite creative and has evolved over time, can you tell me about the making process of the jewelry that we voted the award of excellence today?
b: Having come from a creative family I have always drawn and sketched from an early age. A lot of my inspiration comes from architecture and nature and my childhood in France, which is where the Breton collection (the winning products) comes from. I generally note my ideas down in a notepad or sketchbook and go back to them to see if they will work. I love architecture – mid-century and art deco are personal favourites – which feature in my work and I try and create what I observe on buildings into my jewelry. To start the making process, I usually begin with the color as that is so important, and a lot of my work includes bold colors that stand out.
There are always so many ideas and I try to associate those with colors that the designs will work with, such as the bright blue stripes or blocks of orange in my current collection. I then create prototypes with clay until I am happy to create the final piece. I am self-taught so it’s a very organic process from start to finish and isn’t rushed, if it doesn’t work then I move onto something else rather than force the process. I mainly work with polymer clay and sterling silver and all pieces are individually handmade and unique.
Chris: You mentioned the colors there, which is one of the things that drew my judges eye to your brand and products as these bold colors really stand out.
Nadege: Yes, I think being bold with colors is important, as it makes the products stand out and attracts potential buyers. The collection I was exhibiting was the Breton collection which is bold blue stripes, and after the year we have had, I think people need a bit of color to brighten up their lives as well as taking me back to one of my inspirational places: France. I try to make my designs as uplifting as possible to match the beautiful colors.
Chris: Well, it really caught our eyes with the fun playful colors. What is next for Nadege Honey?
Nadege: My plans for the future will be to expand my range, during lockdown I started painting with watercolors and would like to incorporate some pieces using these techniques and really diversify my offering as I’ve seen so many business and brands adapt over the years. I also believe that my background in the luxury industry will help with growing my brand as I have the experience of both the creative side and the business side.
Chris: Fantastic and we look forward to seeing more from you in the future, congratulations again and look forward to seeing you in the future
You can view more of Nadege Honey’s beautiful jewellery on her website here.
