The Way I Work... Completedworks’ Anna Jewsbury
Anna Jewsbury is the creative mind and visionary behind London-based sustainable jewellery brand Completedworks. She welcomes Service95 to her studio in Marylebone – a former pub transformed into a minimalist workspace that reflects the shapes and aesthetics she creates through her work.
One side of the studio houses a large table where her team works together on various pieces, while the other side serves as their showroom. Here, Jewsbury’s earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings are delicately arranged across lilac-clothed plinths, against the backdrop of stainless-steel shelves showcasing the brand’s gorgeously obscure homeware and accessories. As we walk through the space, she shares insights into the craftsmanship of each piece, her demeanour mirroring the serenity in the working environment she has curated.
Here, she sits down with Service95 to talk about her creative process, her go-to work uniform, the designers she’s excited by and more…
On Her Working Day… I have two young children, so I’m usually up early checking my emails while getting them ready for the day. I’ll pick up a coffee from our local coffee shop, Irene in Marylebone, and take this into the studio, where I’ll catch up with the team.
Every day is so different. In general, though, I like to work on anything creative in the morning – whether it be image, art direction, research, sketching or making maquettes [models of the final designs]. I try to keep the afternoon for meetings.
I like to tidy my space. I’ve realised I’m at my most creative in a calm environment, but I also need so many things to hand while I’m working, so we have a large shoji cabinet running along the back wall of our studio. It’s perfect for housing our materials and design archive while still keeping it all easily accessible.
On Her Design Process… Mostly I will start by researching an idea or thought. Sometimes I will not be thinking about anything in particular, not even a final form, and just move my hands. Connecting with the material I’m modelling with, almost reaching a point of communicating and maintaining a dialogue with the piece and the creative process. Other times, I will start with a sketch and my process will be centred around curating my references together in a way that might bring out newness.
On Her Working Playlist… Max Richter.
On Being Inspired By Culture… My work can’t help but be inspired by my everyday life – the books I read, the films I watch, the art I see. For example, for our SS24 collection, we were exploring the surreal set design of the 1980s children’s film Honey I Shrunk The Kids. There are all these oversized prop faunas that loom over the actors, and we tried to imbue a selection of pieces in our collection with a similarly hyper-real and uncanny representation of flowers and petals. The wonderful imperfectness of a 1980s film set!
On Her Work ‘Uniform’… I have a favourite ear cuff that I wear every day, even if I’m not seeing anyone or going anywhere. It’s become part of me. For clothing, I love to layer anything from Pleats Please Issey Miyake. The pieces are so versatile. I really like the consistency of having a sort of uniform when it comes to dressing, and Pleats Please is my go-to. [I also love] TOVE, Cecilie Bahnsen and Jil Sander.
On The Jewellery Designers She Admires… I’m a big fan of Joel Arthur Rosenthal [of JAR Jewellery]. His work has this amazing mix of creativity and craftsmanship and he isn’t afraid to mix unusual gemstones with non-traditional materials.
On The Best Career Advice… Take the time to collaborate or learn from other people, especially from different disciplines. Often, collaborating with an artist is about opening up to a new way of working and a new way of seeing something. Be continually curious about things.
On Her Most Prized Possession… A painting that my husband did of me while I was pregnant with our first child.
On The Piece She’s Designed That Means The Most… Earlier pieces such as the Gotcha earrings, which I still wear regularly. But one of the most personal pieces was my engagement ring that I designed after my husband proposed with a handwritten coupon for a Completedworks ring.
On Finding Inspiration… If I need inspiration I might pop by a gallery. The great thing about galleries is that by their nature they make you stop and observe. But, actually, if you just take the time to keep your eyes open outside of a gallery, you can find inspiration anywhere.
On Her Alternative Career… I feel lucky every day that I get to do what I do. I get to explore ideas that interest me and run with that, which feels like an inestimable luxury. But if I weren’t doing this, I would have loved to have been a sculptor.
Anna Jewsbury’s 5 Up-And-Coming Jewellery & Fashion Designers To Know…
1) The Winter House – A genderless East London fine jewellery brand known for avant-garde and sculptural pieces that reflect the brand’s progressive and boundary-blurring ethos.
2) Tabitha Ringwood – Bespoke footwear crafted from recycled materials, designed to explore texture to emphasise the evolving relationship between wearer and object.
3) Standing Ground – Founded by Irish designer Michael Stewart and a semi-finalist for the 2024 LVMH Prize, this womenswear brand is definitely one to watch.
4) Róisín Pierce – An Irish-based designer committed to combining innovative and artisanal techniques, exploring the tradition of craftsmanship and its relationship with Irish women’s history.
5) Feben – Feben, a recent Central Saint Martins MA graduate, explores the visual codes of global Black life, reclaiming feelings of displacement and belonging. She is also part of the British Fashion Council’s NEWGEN.
Pia Brynteson is Digital Editor at Service95
