Developing and honing a distinct brand identity is something that has seemingly come naturally to FP founder, Kush Shah – who started Feather Pendants from his mum’s bedroom at age 16, looking to fill a gap in the market for jewellery that complements streetwear.
It’s no surprise then that FP gems have adorned everyone from Skepta to Saka – as well as being spotted on the catwalks of fashion week as readily as the streets of Soho. When it comes to jewellery, Feather Pendants knows how to disrupt the scene. Earlier this year, they took to London to throw a SS22 celebration which saw musical performances, good vibes and a link up with Lost Paradise, showcasing their INTERSTELLAR line which saw precious stones and freshwater pearls take precedence.
For this season though, the brand flocked to the water – drawing on a pristine island in the Ionian sea as the backdrop on which to launch its latest collection. The paradisiacal island settings of the campaign are reflected in the jewels themselves: this season sees Feather Pendants unveil rich enamel greens, deep blue hues and cosmic purple for its Pre Fall offering.
We also see the return of tried and true FP classics, like the Buckle chain – first debuted for the brand’s previous Fall collection and playing on notions of functionality, mechanism and aesthetic value within solid set jewellery design. We caught up with founder Kush to talk through the new collection.
What marks this collection as different from Feather Pendants’ previous output?
It’s our first pre-fall collection to start with, we’ve always wanted to debut new designs with a really attractive campaign, a vibe check for our community and start the first chapter of the season with a cliff-hanger of some sort, ahead of an even richer AW22 collection in the coming weeks. We also bring a lot of powerful colours and a subtle illusion of size gradient to the table in the pieces which is new for us in such a daring way with utopian greens and deep purples for example.
The campaign itself is also an opportunity for us to flex our creative muscles, and show notable growth-on-growth with our artistic direction.
Saying that, how does it fit into the brand’s ongoing vision of disrupting the jewellery scene?
Disruption is key for us, taking it as far as basing a previous ‘Anarchy’ collection on that very topic. Truthfully, the jewellery market (especially when bouncing between lux and street) is flooded with similar-looking styles, and always in either silver or gold. Design is very sensitive amongst jewellers, and we as a brand carry a lot of pressure to be different.
Do you have a favourite piece from the new drop, and why?
My favourite piece from the latest drop would be the Tennis bracelets, especially with the green hues. Mainly because it’s an exciting new design of ours, and is a style of bracelet we’ve done many seasons ago, yet had to be brought back in a tasteful and new way I guess. It’s surprisingly subtle on the wrist which I love.
What do you want people to take away from the new line?
We strive for the unconventional – whilst also staying true to classic styles of jewellery. For example, the Cuban Ring in the collection has been revisited with the coloured enamel work additions to separate from the traditional. We also have to respect that colours reflect the character, something we hope is thought of in our community. I want my pieces to evoke a feeling of exploration and curiosity.
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