Industrial & cheeky meets feminine & flowing...

'Nicola and Zed' are one of our brand-new interstate stallholders for the upcoming Autumn Hustle&Scout. We are always on the look-out for distinct and high-end jewellery designers, so the minute we saw what these two folks had on offer, we jumped at the opportunity to get them on board. Nicola Bannerman (of Nicole Bannerman Jewellery) and Rick Southwick (of Zed Jewellery) each have very different styles but they will be joining forces at our event, holding one stall together, and offering a little bit of everything for everyone, including some shiny pieces for the chaps!

On the one hand, Nicola's jewellery can best be described as flowing and feminine, drawing inspiration from forms in nature and incorporating precious stones and jewels such as black diamonds. On the other hand, Rick's jewellery is industrial and puts an cheeky spin on iconic objects such as cameras, robots and headphones, to name a few. Both labels are hand-crafted and boast beautiful, intricate details that force you to look closely.

This week, we take 5 with Sydney pals, Nicola and Rick, and get all the goss on their labels, their inspiration and their design journey. Get amongst it... 

 

What is it about Hustle & Scout that made you want to apply to be a stallholder?

We were informed by a friend who had been to a previous market and advised us that it was very high quality and suitable for our jewellery. We looked up the website and were very impressed by the general feel and quality of the site. I have previously been in a night market (Modern Market) organised by CraftACT and knew how suitable the venue was.

  

How did you each get into designing jewellery?

RICK:

It happened whilst I wasn't paying attention.

During my 20’s I travelled through Europe, and when I returned home realised I had spent three months staring at art deco and gothic architecture. It became the foundation to my love of design. From there, I incorporated these design aspects into contemporary jewellery.  

 

Eventually, it clicked that the pieces I wore were popular. They needed to be created, given a brand and offered to the public. My designs are mainly influenced by iconic products through our modern era. My camera necklace came about from my reading about the photo journalists during the Vietnam War. The stories of the crazy and death-defying lengths they would go to to get the shot. Tim Page, Dana Stone and Sean Flynn (son of Australian actor Errol Flynn) captivated me and I became interested by the constant reference to the Nikon F and Leica cameras. The Nikon F was the first SLR camera of its generation and therefore iconic as well as beautiful - I had to make one.

 

 

 

 

 

The Headphones are based on a vintage set I mix with, and DJ’s love the headphones piece. My DJ robot, Dezmond Zeal, has a detachable hoop so he can be worn on a chain when he isn't standing around being a robot. He has his own Facebook following. His owners post pictures of his extensive world travel on his page. He’s a popular little robot. Chris Hemsworth owns Dezmond Zeal 008. Channel 7 chef, Manu Feildel, owns a set of the 70’s Cutlery necklace.

 

 

 

NICOLA:

As a child I became fascinated with birds nests, vines in the garden and the spiral patterns I noticed in nature. I attempted (unsuccessfully) to make a birds nest out of twigs and this triggered a strong desire to create from wire.  I also really enjoyed science and I saw designing and making jewellery as a way to combine creativity, technical skills and science through the use of metals and gemstones. I would often have ideas in my head of jewellery I wanted to wear and would go looking to buy it, but found I would have to make it.

 

 
 Tell us a bit about your label and design aesthetic.

RICK:

The Zed jewellery sterling silver range started as jewellery I made for myself to wear. I found that when I wore my camera necklace or headphone necklace people would be drawn to the pieces to such an extent that many times a hand would come out of nowhere and grasp the jewellery excitedly exclaiming “cool, where did you get that?”.

 

NICOLA:

My label focuses on high quality feminine contemporary jewellery which is flowing and organic in style. I pay great attention to detail when designing and always finish my work to a high standard.

 

 

What is your creative workspace like, and what inspires you about your surroundings?

RICK:

I trained under a master jeweller in London learning antique reproduction and restoration skills. When I returned to Australia and started my own jewellery manufacturing business "Rick Southwick Bespoke Jeweller" I recreated my London workshop in Sydney. I create jewellery in the traditional way and apart from a few modern instruments my bench and tools wouldn't look out of place in the Victorian era.

 

My jewellers studio is in the listed Dymocks building in George street Sydney. The mosaic tiled corridors  in this building inspired my collection of cufflinks and, generally being in the heart of a vibrant and creative city, watching people interact with every day objects and being an observer of individual styles inspires me.

 

 

 

NICOLA:

I have two studio spaces, one in Sydney CBD where I create my jewellery and where my clients come to visit. This space is highly organised and is where I make my production line jewellery from.

My other creative workspace is a bright north facing room with a large window looking onto a frangipani tree. This is where I make my sculpture and where I am my most creative.  I have a lot of things in the room which inspire me from gemstones, pictures from fashion magazines, organic materials such leaves, twigs and pebbles, through to working models and sketches. When designing I like to have these things around me to refer back to whenever I need to. I often make models when designing and will have my bench covered with various components and models in different materials including cardboard, aluminium and copper.

 

What can punters expect to find at the upcoming autumn market?

 

RICK:

In combining Zed Jewellery and Nicola Bannerman Jewellery as 'Nicola and Zed', we are presenting a combined range of original and eclectic designs.

Nicola's intricate and flowing jewellery is delightfully feminine and her seashell range bold and contemporary.

Zed jewellery is industrial and iconic in design with a fun cheeky feel.

NICOLA:

A diverse range of jewellery made from sterling silver and natural gemstones. Together our jewellery covers a broad range catering to both males and females across a wide age group. Nicola’s jewellery features several different styles of jewellery ranging from more delicate wire pieces through to more bold matt finish sterling silver and organic leaf inspired jewellery.

What new projects are you working on and where would you like to see your label in the future?

RICK:
I'm constantly on the lookout for interesting concepts to incorporate into Zed. I'm working on a companion robot to keep "Dezmond Zeal DJ Robot" company. A playful sidekick.

I have always held the belief that Zed Jewellery would be a success in foreign markets. I see Japan, South Korea and New York as having great potential.  

The Internet is seen as the "be all" for promoting brands. However, it lacks the intimate and tactile experience events such as Hustle & Scout provide. Having this opportunity to showcase our jewellery to a wider audience at Hustle&Scout is a perfect platform for Nicola and Zed.

NICOLA:

I am currently working on a solo exhibition which will be held in September this year at studio 20/17 Danks street Sydney.  As well as my sculptures it will feature new jewellery collections made from sterling silver and black diamonds.