Anathema Designs
FASHION & BEAUTY
CHAINS, ZIPS AND OTHER UNUSUAL MATERIALS ARE ALL PART OF WHAT MAKES SIÂN ROOKWOOD’S JEWELLERY LINE ANATHEMA DESIGNS SO FASCINATING AND EYE CATCHING. WE HAD A CHAT WITH HER TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT HER AMAZING CREATIONS... WORDS: DOMINIQUE MARSHALL PHOTOS: SIÂN ROOKWOOD
How did anathema designs begin and how did you come up with the name? I’ve honestly always made jewellery pieces for myself. I feel like I have quite an individual sense of style and could never quite find anything on the high street that fitted in with that, for an affordable price, so I thought that I would try my hand at designing pieces just for me. I found that I was getting a lot of compliments on my pieces and friends started asking for custom made items as birthday or Christmas gifts. Eventually someone asked me why I didn’t make jewellery to sell, it seemed like a good suggestion and I got straight into designing some new pieces and exhibiting at local craft sales - it’s spiralled from there! In terms of the name, I’ve always had a love of underused words and I think ‘anathema’ happens to be one of those. It originates from the Greek language and used to mean an offering, particularly a religious offering. Over time its meaning has morphed into something more negative, something which is cursed. I like the notion of changing perceptions and feel it fits in with what I’ve set out to achieve by using ‘harsh’ materials in a soft way. The word ‘anathema’ is almost anathema to my design philosophy and I like that juxtaposition! Where do you draw your inspiration from? Pretty much anything and everything to be honest. I get excited about the texture, patination and colour of my materials but I find my inspiration often in the most unlikely places. Different lighting or shadows, the latest fantasy or sci-fi book I’m reading, illustrations, nature, music, film, and certainly photography and fashion are all major sources of inspiration for me. I’d like to think that everything I find interesting finds its way into my work one way or another! With all your jewellery being handmade, how long does it take you to create a piece? It varies hugely depending on the piece and the collection it’s come from. The chainmail designs tend to be the most labour intensive as a serious amount of steel
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