Interview with Andrew Prince – Downton Abbey’s jewellery designer

Today’s post is a dream come true for me, as we are meeting Andrew Prince – the jewellery designer who puts the sparkle and brilliance into our favourite Downton Abbey:

Andrew Prince – photography by Catherine

For those of you who are not yet familiar with it, Downton Abbey is a tv-series set in a (fictional) Yorkshire country house called Downton Abbey.  We are following the lives of the aristocratic family Crawley and their servants during the reign of King George V, and as you can imagine. every episode brings us the most stunning outfits, jewellery and intrigues.  In the midst of all this style and elegance is Andrew Prince, who started working his magic on the jewellery in the third series.

The beautiful Lady Rose in an Andrew Prince necklace.  The other stars also wearing some of Andrew’s creations.  Copyright: Carnival Films

Andrew, what was the first piece of jewellery that you ever designed?

The first piece I ever made was a ring for my grandmother out of wire when I was 3.  It gave her a rash and she still has the piece.  A few years later I made a necklace for my mother using the embellishments from her wedding dress.  She was not happy.

Maggie Smith wearing jewellery designed by Andrew Prince  Copyright: Carnival Films

What do you do for Downton Abbey?

I did the majority of the major pieces, especially for Maggie Smith (Lady Violet Crawley in the series); the tiaras and mainly the impact pieces.  I also do many of Lady Cora Crawley’s jewellery (played by Elizabeth McGovern) and in total I have made about 40-50 pieces for them.

Mysore Tiara by Andrew Prince for Downton Abbey

When did you start designing for them?

Caroline McCall the costume designer contacted me to work on the third series.  I always try to ensure that the pieces are absolutely correct for the characters, as it is vital to get it right in such an important tv-series.

Pendant earrings by Andrew Prince for Downton Abbey

Have you visited the set of Downton?

Yes I have and visiting the set makes you realise just how much work is being put in.  Being there is certainly interesting and seeing the jewellery and the costumes together is always thrilling, not to mention how lovely the stars are in real life.

Wide Scroll Choker Flat by Andrew Prince for Downton Abbey

What piece of jewellery has been your favourite one to design?

One of the biggest pieces that I ever made and it was something that I had in mind for years!  It was made out pearls and crystals and draped down the back.  Surprisingly it sold to a lady who was just under 5 foot (150cm) but it looked magnificent on her!

Large drop back jewel necklace by Andrew Prince

People in the industry who have worked with Andrew keep praising the historic accuracy of his designs, and whenever I have a very specific question about antique jewellery my colleagues always say that I must ask Andrew, as he is like a “walking encyclopedia of antique jewellery”!

A crystal encrusted comb by Andrew Prince

Also, as quoted on Andrew’s website: “He realised that beautiful jewellery didn’t require expensive stones, and that it was the elegance of the design and the quality of the workmanship that truly mattered.”  And it really is such a treat to be able to buy the most exquisite pieces of jewellery, knowing that they are all within our price range (the medium sized earrings are all under £100 and wedding tiaras tend to cost between £220-£450).

Video: Television Costume Design – Andrew Prince

If you click on the link above and go to the third video from the top, you will see a clip of Andrew talking us through some of the Downton Abbey costume designs – and I just love how passionate he is about the subject of jewellery design!

I may have managed to get my hands on some of Andrew’s crystal tiara’s at Richard Ogden…

The other day I was able to have a play around with a few of Andrew’s tiaras at Richard Ogden in Burlington Arcade, and as you can imagine I was in jewellery heaven!  Now all the tiaras, hair accessories and special pieces are all still made by Andrew himself; he meets clients individually to discuss the pieces, which then allows him to fit the jewellery perfectly.  Smaller pieces are mostly created in his two workshops, and he oversees the creation of them all to make sure that they achieve his exacting standards.

A selection of Andrew Prince’s Jewellery Collection         Copyright: Sophie Mutevelian

Andrew’s pieces have also been worn by celebrities like Michael Jackson (a large crystal and pearl shoulder jewel) and Shirley Bassey (necklaces). For all of you Swedish readers it might be fun to know that Countess de Gunzburg Backman wore one of Andrew’s tiaras to Crown Princess Victoria’s wedding.

You can see all of Andrew Prince’s beautiful pieces on his website: Andrew Prince – fine crystal jewellery.

A Trifari Vintage Treasure

Good morning my lovely, I hope you had a nice weekend!  Mine was just wonderful as I was out in the countryside and it turned out that the monthly Village Antique Fair was on, which I decided to pop by early on Sunday morning.  I spent over an hour browsing through everything from old clocks and watches to photographs from the 19th century (when people would only have their photo taken once in their lifetime, so you can imagine what a big day it was and how important it was to wear their very finest clothes and jewellery!), loads of jewellery and other objets d’art.

Vintage Trifari necklace – not in its original box

I soon stopped by one of my favourite jewellery stands, where I was shown this gold coloured vintage Trifari necklace, covered in rhinestones.  It had the Trifari hallmark on the clasp and I believe that it is from the 50s or 60s.  It is always so lovely to see pieces in perfect condition, with all the design features intact for us to admire.

A closer look at the Trifari necklace

I know that I have mentioned Trifari before, and I thought that the necklace gives us the perfect excuse to look at the history of this famous jewellery company:

Trifari was founded in New York in 1925 by Gustavo Trifari, Leo F Krussman and Carl M Fishel in New York.  Gustavo Trifari came from Naples, where he had been trained by his grandfather in his little goldsmith workshop.  When he moved to New York in 1902 he initially worked for a company called Weinberg and Sudzen, and after ten years his started his own company together with Leo F Krussman, and simply decided to call it Trifari and Krussman.  

In 1925 Carl Fishel joined and this is by many seen as the start of the company, but others only consider the firm to have been complete in 1930, when Alfred Philippe became the head designer.  Philippe produced some of the company’s most recognisable pieces, and with a background designing high end jewellery for companies like Cartier and Van Cleef & Arples you can understand what an air of elegance and luxury he would have added to the designs.

Despite the rationing during the war, Trifari flourished and produced some of their finest pieces, which is quite remarkable since so many other companies drew their last breaths during these difficult years.  Gustavo Trifari passed away in 1952 and Krussman and Fishel continued without him until 1964 when their sons took over the business, and continued to run it for many years to come.

59 Vintage Store in Stockholm

We are back in Stockholm today my dear, as the Vintage Fair that we visited earlier this year had such an abundance of gorgeous vintage shops that we haven’t yet been through them all!  Today we are popping by 59 Vintage Store, which you might remember, is where my sister found her beautiful butter yellow dress for last year’s wedding.

Vintage Pearls from 59 Vintage Store in Stockholm

When you visit this lovely shop on Kungsholmen in Stockholm you will find a lovely array of vintage clothing and accessories spanning from the 20s up to the 80s – with a focus on dresses, glitter and glamour, how fabulous!  We did also find that they have a glorious range of purses, shoes, boots capes and all kinds of accessories.  Their collection of brands span across YSL, Dior, Chancel, Gucci, Cacharel – and some Scandinavian ones as well: Marimekko and Katja of Sweden, just to name a few.

59 Vintage Store Stockholm at Vintagemässan

My favourite thing about vintage is that if I ever find myself without for example that perfect handbag when I have a party to go to in the evening – there really is no better place to find something unique than in a good vintage shop!  They always seem to have a range of glorious bags to choose from – with sparkling sequins for that glamorous Hollywood starlet look – or one of your favourite brands that might cost a fortune when bought new but turns out to be a bargain in  a vintage shop!  So if you find yourself panicking on your Friday lunch hour because you just don’t have the perfect outfit for the evening, take a deep breath and pop into your closest vintage shop.  You will not be disappointed!

Vintage shoes from 59 Vintage Store

I am obviously a huge believer in quality vintage pieces, and at the fair I was very pleased to see that they take their quality control very seriously.  Next door to their shop in Stockholm they have a tailor next door who can help to make sure that the pieces that you buy will suit you perfectly!

The sun was setting as I took a photo of these lovely vintage dresses at the fair… 

So I can’t wait to pop by their shop in the next few weeks and I might be bringing you a few more photos – maybe of something that you will fall head over heels in love with!

59 Vintage Store Stockholm at Vintagemässan

We can visit 59 Vintage Store on Hantverkargatan 59 on Kungsholmen in Stockholm.

Arabella Bianco’s Vintage Jewellery Collection

Hello my dear, I sure hope you are having a wonderful week in this glorious weather.  London feels like a Mediterranean city with the sun beaming down on us and the trees and flowers so proudly flaunting their summer costumes.

Arabella Bianco at Vintage Modes

As promised in Monday’s post, we are today going to check out Arabella Bianco’s dazzling new home at Vintage Modes in Grays Antique Centre.

Stunning Vintage Bracelet and Necklace set from Arabella Bianco 

I am such a fan of the Arabella Bianco collection because this lady knows her jewellery!  The condition of the pieces is always great and the designs are so exciting, with everything from Christian Dior and Balenciaga to Trifari, Butler & Wilson… and so much more!

Parrot Brooch from Arabella Bianco at Grays Antique Centre

The owner, Lesley Sargeant, started selling fair trade in 2007 at Bromley Town Centre Market, and later expanded into jewellery.  Just like our mantra here on the blog, she adores vintage jewellery because it is so well-made and beautiful, and the finds are always so unexpected!  50s to 80s vintage costume jewellery is their speciality but they stock new vintage style jewellery too.

Yep, rows and rows and shelves of beautiful pieces of jewellery!

You can buy their beautiful pieces from their website, from their store in Vintage Modes at Grays Antique Centre and at vintage events.  Their slogan is the lovely ‘fun fashion with a difference’  and they loosely follow trends to fit with the modern day wardrobe.

And when you pop by the shop do say hi to Lesley from me – and make sure that you ask her about pieces that you are interested in, as she will tell you about the designs and often also the fascinating stories behind them – which is of course what vintage jewellery is all about!

Vintage Pearl and Rhinestone earrings at Arabella Bianco at Grays Antique Centre

Arabella Bianco at Vintage Modes, 1-7 Davies Mews, Mayfair, London W1K 5AB

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa at Vintagemässan in Stockholm

Today’s post is another treat especially for you Sweden-based readers, as we are visiting the stall of Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa at Vintagemässan in Stockholm:

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

Their collection contained everything from old cinema posters to accessories and dresses…  It was all so beautifully presented as well, which could be why people kept flocking around their stall at all times during the vintage fair.  I had to be very quick with my camera to get photos of all the lovely pieces in between all these gorgeous ladies – all dressed up in vintage attire – browsing through the collection:

We love this lady’s 1940’s inspired hairdo 

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

I love how their costume jewellery collection was displayed, with the draped pearls making you feel as if you had just stumbled into the dressing rooms of classic Hollywood movie stars like Vivien Leigh or Ava Gardner!

Ava Gardner, by the way, came out with the following famous quote in the 80’s:

“I either write the books or sell the jewels , and I’m kinda sentimental about the jewels.” 

She was speaking with a journalist about potentially writing an autobiography since she was in need of cash, and it was obviously a choice between writing a book about her life or selling her treasured jewellery.  She never ended up writing the autobiography – some people say that Frank Sinatra, her ex-husband, offered her financial support so that she wouldn’t reveal things about their life together.  A book was however written after her passing away, based on the conversations that she had with this journalist.  In case you are curious to read it, it is called  Ava Gardner: The Secret Conversations, and it had the blessing of the Gardner estate, so you can read it with a good conscience!

Cinema Lobby Pictures at Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa

Cinema Lobby Pictures, Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

My dear sister was looking through an amazing collection of old cinema lobby posters – for a mere 150kr/each (ca. £15).  I would love to have a couple of these in my house one day, maybe in the hallway as the first thing you see when you enter.  The ones that I choose would obviously have to feature some old glamorous actresses all dressed up in jewellery:

Cinema Lobby Pictures, Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

Fiffi’s also featured some gorgeous vintage frocks, and I happen to know that they have quite a few up for sale on their website: Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa – for a very reasonable penny.

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

Fiffi’s Vintage & Kuriosa, Vintagemässan i Stockholm

At Fiffi’s I also found out about this very interesting Vintage Fair which is coming up the last weekend on May, so keep an eye on this space.  The fair might in fact end up featuring one of the rare Decades of Elegance appearances, so I will let you know as soon as I know more!

Bumped Up Hairstyle with Loose Waves

Today we are looking at a fabulous and super easy hairdo that my friend Lady L wore to our afternoon tea last week:

Bumped up hairstyle with loose waves

She wanted an elegant look for the occasion and since we love hairstyles that don’t take forever to do, we decided to go for this bumped up look with some gloriously loose waves:

Who needs to create a windswept hairstyle when you can just spend a winter in London?!

Start out using a curling iron to create soft curls that go from the height of your ears and down, and make them approximately two centimeter wide.  When done you can run your fingers through the waves to make them soft and loose, and remember to give them a misting of hairspray.

After that gather a wide part of your hair at the front and tease the underside of it to create a bump on the top of your head – spray some hairspray into the teased part to make it stay.  Pull the whole section up and back softly to get that stunning bump, then twist the ends at the crown of your head and pin with two criss-crossed hair pins (as you can see in the photo below).  Spray liberally with hairspray to make sure that it stays up all day and night!

You can always add a vintage brooch or a hair accessory at the back – it creates such an elegant look!

I just loved the look of this mother-of-pearl coloured dress and these vintage paste earrings!

Our lovely lady here went for a classic makeup look with some light pink lip gloss to perfect her fair complexion.  She also wore a pair of Decades of Elegance 1920’s style sparkling earrings – such a fabulous look for an afternoon tea excursion!

Glitter glitter everywhere…

First of all: I really missed you guys on Friday, when I wasn’t able to write a post as I was travelling!  Lots of love from a -17 degree Finland though, this time of year is just stunning over there when the sun is out, you can get a good idea from this photo on Instagram.

Decades of Elegance Vintage necklaces

A very exciting thing is happening on the blog at the moment, with this super lovely magazine writing a piece about the Decades of Elegance collection!  I will link to their website when the article comes out and I am really looking forward to seeing the finished piece, as I have had the chance to work with some incredibly talented people.  One of them is photographer James Oaten, whose photography I love as he captures details really well, without messing around with the photos. I really can’t wait to see how he applies his skills to a jewellery collection!

Vintage-style Leopard Bracelet £50 now £40                                                         Art Deco Pearl Ring £85 now £60                                                                            Costume Jewellery Pearl Choker £35 now £25                                                           Mother of Pearl bracelet £50 now £40                                 

This photo session also created a wonderful opportunity to take out all my pieces of jewellery and get an idea of what we have at the moment.  I have decided to put a couple of pieces on sale here, so if you see anything you love do get in touch with me on: info@decadesofelegance.com and we will make it yours!

Vintage-style Leopard Bracelet £50 now £40                                                               Art Deco Pearl Ring £85 now £60

Frivology Pop-Up Shop

Once upon a time a small shop called Frivology popped up in Fulham Broadway.  Through the shop window an array of clothes, shoes and accessories could be seen – all so beautifully arranged and colour coordinated.  To my despair I only ever managed to pass it on early mornings and late evenings when it was closed, so you can imagine how delighted I was to find that it was open when I walked past the other day:

Frivology pop-up shop Fulham

Well.. as it turns out it was their last day on the premises as they were only operating on a pop-up basis, so I took as many photos as I could and ooh’d and aah’d over the beautiful pieces.  The lovely lady running the shop is however looking to open up somewhere nearby, so let’s keep our fingers crossed that she finds the perfect place as soon as possible!

A heavenly range of shoes and accessories on offer…

Frivology is such a unique place, as the owner of the shop is a stylist who has put her collection up for sale, so everything in the shop has been individually hand-picked by her.  As a result it is especially perfect when you are looking for help putting an outfit together, as you will get personal styling advice from someone with fabulous taste:

Red and gold for all you vintage lovers…

The shops offers a glorious mix of fashion and home ware; vintage and retro; contemporary and customised pieces.  I also just loved how beautifully styled everything was, with the rails offering coordinated pieces in all colours of the rainbow:

I fell in love with this ensemble…

… especially this fabulous masque – it is just dying to be worn to a masquerade! 

I had a very interesting chat with the owner, who is planning to open a shop in Fulham where artistic and creative people can be based and join forces.  Definitely something for the small scale designers, who just need a place to put their pieces up for sale.  One of my favourite things about running Decades of Elegance is meeting all these fabulous artists, who work so hard to make the world a more beautiful and interesting place!

A vintage jacket among all the blues…

… the most extraordinary pieces that you won’t run into anywhere else!

Some fabulous gold for the daring fashionistas…

… and silver for those late night parties!

I promise to let you guys know where Frivology eventually settles down, as I am sure you are also looking forward to rummaging through all these eclectic and stylish pieces!

A sparkling Christmas party at Grays Antique Centre

We received a lovely invitation to a Christmas party at Grays Antique Centre last week, which really put the sparkle into this year’s Christmas!

Grays Antique Centre in Mayfair

Grays Antique Centre is based in Mayfair, just by Bond Street tube station and with Christmas coming up it is such a wonderful place to find some very special presents for your loved ones.  You can get everything from very high-end pieces of jewellery (diamonds, emeralds, amethysts etc) to very reasonably priced costume jewellery – from all the glorious decades gone by!

Any favourites?

I stopped by Westleigh Antiques and had a lovely chat with the trader there – and I just couldn’t take my eyes off the most stunning pieces antique and antique-style jewellery!  I was especially delighted to see the most glorious cocktail rings shimmering and sparkling back at me:

30 karat Aquamarine cocktail ring at Westleigh Antiques, Grays Antique Centre

Diamond and pearl cocktail ring at Westleigh Antiques, Grays Antique Centre

Chandelier Diamond Earrings at Westleigh Antiques

The Haywood Sisters at Grays Antique Centre

We also had the pleasure of seeing the Haywood Sisters performing Christmas songs for us.  This lovely vocal trio were styled top to toe in vintage and brought a wonderful touch of glamour and sparkle to the evening.  With backgrounds in West End musicals and other high-end performances they are the perfect addition to a wide range of events, so do check out their beautiful singing here: The Haywood Sisters.

John Joseph at Grays Antique Market Christmas Party

We have seen a few pieces from John Joseph before and I couldn’t resist the temptation of photographing their vintage and antique engagement collection:

Antique Engagement Rings at John Joseph, Grays Antique Centre

They also do the most beautiful cocktail rings with all the precious gemstones you could ever dream of:

Sapphires and emeralds at John Joseph Antiques

We still have a few dealers to visit so stay tuned and I will take you along to see some heavenly antique lace, a late 19th century tiara and some very handsome cuff links – the perfect present for the gentleman that has everything!

Alphen Antiques and Collectibles Market in Constantia – chapter I

I visited a lovely antique fair in Cape Town at the Alphen Centre in Constantia last month, which I wanted to bring you along to today:

Alphen Centre in Constantia

This is the first post out of two, and the second post is unique and incredibly charming, so make sure to keep an eye out for it!

I thought we should start with the collection from Then and Now –  a beautiful mix of vintage and modern pieces:

I loved this silver bracelet with all these lovely chunky stones!

Vintage bracelet in a beautiful design

A girl can never have too many cocktail rings – that is my philosophy in life…

… and this green beauty simply had to go come with me!

Green and silver cocktail ring

… and it is for sale so get in touch if you love it dear!

Groot Constantia Wine Farm

And when you visit the beautiful Constantia, make sure that you pay the famous wine farm Groot Constantia a visit.  It is the oldest wine farm in South Africa and the most beautiful place!