EMMY LONDON: THE BRAND STORY

"I have a real passion for creating beautiful pieces that represent love and that make people not only look good, but feel amazing too."

After quickly becoming established as a much-loved destination for luxury bridal shoes, Emmy London was approached by H.Samuel to design and craft a fine jewellery collection featuring elegant engagement rings, wedding bands, eternity rings, necklaces and earrings. Four years later, the collection continues to go from strength to strength, with each sparkling piece oozing the intricate design and impressive craftsmanship that Emmy London is famous for. Here we’ll take a look at Emmy London’s story.

THE BACK STORY

"I’ve always loved fashion and design. One of my first memories was putting wooden building blocks in my socks to create my own high heels."

Luxury brand Emmy London was founded in 2004 by Emmy Scarterfield, an ambitious designer with impressive attention to detail and a genuine passion for making her wearers feel beautifully confident. As a descendant of Charles Digby Harrods, the founder of iconic store Harrods, it isn’t surprising that luxury retail and entrepreneurship runs in Emmy’s blood, and even from a very young age it was clear Emmy had a flair for fashion.

Emmy followed her heart and trained at the prestigious Cordwainers College, which is now part of London College of Fashion, a school attended by the likes of Jimmy Choo. Upon graduation, Emmy joined M&S before hot-footing it to Milan for five years, gaining valuable experience at iconic fashion houses like Giorgio Armani and Bottega Veneta, and that’s where top-class craftsmanship really captured her heart. On her return to London, Emmy freelanced for renowned British fashion brands but quickly fell out of love with bringing someone else’s ideas to life. Her dream was always to go it alone, so in 2004 Emmy took the plunge and decided to make her dream a reality, and from there, Emmy London was born.

BRIDAL EXPERTISE

"Designing pieces for bridal is truly a privilege and an honour because it's such a positive, happy time in someone's life. To be able to create pieces that really represent their love is amazing."

The decision to design bridal pieces was both emotional and practical for Emmy. Firstly, she saw a clear gap in the market for extremely high-quality bridal shoes and accessories. But secondly, bridal suited her feminine, elegant and timeless design style. It allowed her to work with people at such an exciting time in their lives – something that gives Emmy endless pleasure. Emmy’s designs have since been worn by some of the world’s most famous women, and what started as a small bridal shoe business is now internationally recognised for its modern, glitzy take on the classic art-deco style.

EMMY LONDON AT H.SAMUEL

"When H Samuel approached me, it felt completely natural and an obvious decision, so I embraced it wholeheartedly....who best to team up with than the experts on the high street!"

In 2016 when H.Samuel approached Emmy to design an exclusive collection of diamond pieces, Emmy willingly accepted and, before long, the collection was released online and in H.Samuel stores nationwide. The collection was a big hit and has since expanded to include unique gemstone rings like morganite and aquamarine, as well as earrings, necklaces and regular new releases of dazzling diamond engagement rings.

Attention to detail is at the heart of everything Emmy represents, and that is evident in the comfort and craftsmanship of each piece in the collection. Emmy explains “my strengths definitely lie in the detail, so scaling down my design process to apply myself to fine jewellery design was a very comfortable transition for me.” Ever the romantic, Emmy also chose to incorporate a hidden diamond into every piece of jewellery, which echoes the signature crystal on the soles of Emmy London shoes, a secret between the two of you as a couple.

Emmy designs her jewellery collection in the same way as her bridal shoes, starting off with an extensive mood board followed by numerous sketches from multiple angles. Every piece in the collection is beautifully executed and has a strong essence of the Emmy London brand. From a technical perspective, each design is also a triumph of quality, and every single diamond is ethically sourced, exquisitely cut and individually certified.

INSPIRATION

"Love is in the detail at Emmy London."

Emmy admits that her design inspiration often comes from unusual sources, from the beautiful shapes on an insect’s wings to interesting architecture or unique tile patterns that she has seen on holiday. Emmy also takes inspiration from some of her favourite shoe designs, incorporating her famous crystal cuts and creating intricate stone shapes like baguette and marquise with striking pavé finishes. As with her bridal shoes, most of Emmy’s jewellery pieces are the perfect combination of complex detailing and timeless style, and it’s where Emmy’s famous attention to detail is undoubtedly clear.

When designing her first collection for H.Samuel, Emmy also took a lot of inspiration from her much loved Grandmother’s extensive jewellery collection. “It was almost a year since my Grandma had passed away when I presented my sketches to H.Samuel for the first time, it was an emotional day as it very much felt like she was there with me. I know for a fact that this would have been by far her proudest moment.”

When asked to choose her favourite piece that she’s designed for H.Samuel, Emmy replied “That's like asking me to choose which of my twins I like best! If I had to choose, it would be the more art-deco shaped rings, the ones that are ornate and quite different because I love that era, but I also think the designs lend themselves to a more modern look as well.” Emmy went on to explain that you can be advised what will best suit your hand and finger shape, and even your skin tone, but ultimately “I think it's important that whatever ring you choose makes you smile, because you're going to be wearing this ring forever. And as long as you love it, that's what will shine through.”

CHOOSING THE PERFECT EMMY LONDON PIECE FOR YOURSELF OR A LOVED ONE

The Emmy London collection, available exclusively at H.Samuel, is perfect for lovers of feminine, romantic pieces and quintessentially British style. As well as a stunning range of unique engagement rings for modern brides-to-be, you’ll also find necklaces and earrings to accessorise with on your wedding day, or to gift to loved ones for anniversaries or other milestone events. With prices from as little as £129 to £3,999, and with the option to buy through our finance scheme, you’ll be sure to find the perfect piece to suit your taste and budget within the Emmy London collection.

Shop the Emmy London collection online today, or visit us in-store where one of our jewellery experts will be happy to show you the range and to answer your questions. Or, if you’d rather shop from the comfort of your own home, enjoy a virtual appointment with one of our friendly experts who’ll be happy to help.