stylonylon interviews rachel boston
Jewellery designer Rachel Boston’s new collection ‘The Protector‘ has been featured in Vogue.com, Dazed & Confused and i-D. A 2011 Central St Martin’s graduate, Rachel makes her jewellery out of casts of beetles and scorpion stings. Her studio is based in east London.
Could you describe your favourite piece of jewellery and tell us why it is so special to you?
My favourite of my own designs is the gold scorpion sting necklace, I love wearing it because it has a lot of movement which makes the stings look like they’re alive. My most sentimental piece though is a name necklace saying ELVIS my parents had made for me based on a necklace I had when I was 8. I’ve been a huge Elvis fan ever since I bought my first CD which was a greatest hits collection so it was just a really special gift and I’ll treasure it forever.
Why do you think animals and insects re-invented as jewellery is so popular at the moment? What does it mean for you and this collection?
I wrote my dissertation when I was at Central Saint Martins on Insects’ Impact on Western Culture – which is profound! Insects in adornment goes from the Magdalenian era – where ornaments in the shape of beetles were found constructed from anthracite – to Bottega Veneta’s beetle inspired accessories last year. Beetles have always had a huge cultural impact and I think they’ve been such a strong influence in my work because of that, their history with mysticism and religions as well as their forms – which fascinates me. They’re the most successful animals to have evolved for 230 million years, their diversity of shapes and colours never fails to amaze me and recreating them into wearable and beautiful jewellery is a fascinating process involving me collecting real beetles and scorpions and casting them into metal.
Have you been shopping for your autumn wardrobe?
I love autumn fashion, it’s by far my favourite time of year to dress for as I love leather gloves and winter coats. I think my Acne brown leather jacket (Ed’s note – similar here) is my favourite autumnal purchase – although it’s getting a little bit cold to wear it I’m trying to persevere. Otherwise I tend to buy alot of vintage or thrift so I’ve been searching for a good cable knit jumper all month.
What key pieces of clothing and accessories can’t you live without?
I couldn’t live without my Cole Haan Air Nike Chelsea boots, they’re the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever owned so I’d feel lost without them. I also couldn’t live without my jewellery collection, of course, as I wear at least one piece from it every day.
What is on you shopping wishlist right now?
I’m a big fan of nuji.com where you can make your dream shopping list online; you can view my list at nuji.com/Rachelboston and see everything my greedy clothes-obsessed heart desires.
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