‘Alouette’: Alex Monroe for Evans

High street collaborations are ten a penny now but when I heard that one of my favourite jewellery designers, Alex Monroe, was launching a diffusion collection with high street retailer Evans, I did a little dance!

Known for his delicate, feminine jewellery Monroe’s designs are the perfect balance of whimsy and wit. His small but perfectly formed trinkets and charms are most often inspired by the natural world, which has become his signature. Birds, flowers, animals and insects adorn elegant chains, fine bracelets and rings in designs that exemplify not only his beautiful craftsmanship but also a sense of fun. He has justifiably become a firm favourite in the world of fashion.

‘Alouette’, the eight-piece collection which launched last Friday, is influenced by nature in typical Monroe style. Pretty gold leaf bracelets, necklaces and rings, and an adorable skylark cameo necklace all feature. Perhaps unsurprisingly, the elegant yet affordable collection was an almost instant sell-out online. With prices ranging from £18 – 35 for a slice of the high fashion jewellery action, it’s clear to see why.

The collection’s intimate glamour comes from a central image the designer returned to when working on the designs – that of a child watching her mother get ready for a party in the Sixties or Seventies. This blend of sophistication and sweet nostalgia is something of a motif for Monroe now. Furthermore, as a fan of the Pre-Raphaelites (especially after a recent trip to Tate Britain), I was interested to hear the collection was also inspired by William Morris. Monroe’s use of gold leaves references the artist’s recurrent depictions of furled, curling leaves. This added a particular sense of richness and otherworldliness to the collection.

I wasn’t quick enough off the mark online when the collection launched, but I headed to the Marble Arch store after work on Friday and luckily there were still a few pieces left. I managed to get my mitts on the gold leaf necklace, which was my favourite piece in the collection that I was hoping to track down. What’s your favourite piece in the collection? Did you manage to get hold of any of the designs before they sold out?

And the packaging was almost as exciting as what was inside…