About Us
Ethereal, romantic, beautiful and intricate, the jewellery of Kirt Holmes transcends conventional definition and sits somewhere between contemporary and antique. Blending semi-precious stones and luxury materials, Kirt’s work is best described as ‘modern vintage’ - agelessly beautiful, each piece is painstakingly hand-crafted from the designers London atelier and are destined to become future heirlooms.
Kirt’s fascination with jewellery began at an early age. Born and raised in rural Yorkshire, the dramatic scenery fuelled a romantic, fairy-tale infused imagination. In a twist which could have come from one of the tales the designer liked so much, Kirt was left a box of vintage jewellery from a Grandmother she had never known. This event, coupled with the natural family flair for crafts and artisan skills (her Father worked in a textile mill and her Mother’s love of arts and crafts ensured this interest continued through the generations) ignited the beginning of a hobby which would form the basis of a career.
Kirt’s work first became known when it went on sale following her completion of a BTEC in jewellery design. This led to a degree from Middlesex University (studying alongside fellow luminaries such as Lesley Vik Wadell – with whom she would open her first boutique ‘Jewel’ – and Scott Wilson). On graduating, the designer took up a position with jewellery design house Erickson Beamon and worked on accessorising collections for names from the cream of international design – Givenchy, Dries Van Noten, Ungaro, Matthew Williamson – the extensive list reads like a ‘Who’s Who’ of fashion.
Ultimately, the designers longstanding ambition was to create her own label. The first ‘official’ collection launched in Autumn/Winter 1999 – it’s success was reflected in the calibre of stockists (Barneys New York, Koh Samui and Erickson Beamon among others) and Kirt went on to receive New Generation sponsorship from the British Fashion Council for several seasons. Aside from her own line collection, Kirt has continued to create jewellery for designers including Preen and Nicole Farhi. Swarovski commissioned a stunning one off piece of crystal beaded sweeping chain sleeves and chain mail hood for the Runway Rocks event which took place during Paris Couture Week.
After a collaboration with fellow designer Lesley Vik Waddell with retail space ‘Jewel’, Kirt Holmes own label boutique was launched earlier this year. Situated amidst the antiquities and curiosity shops in Camden Passage, Islington, a visit to the store is like unearthing a jewellery box from an attic. The anthracite grey and dark wood interior and is decked with luxurious design details including sumptuous chaise longues, rustling silk drapes and dainty antique dressing tables and cabinets. In addition to the designers’ own-label collection, the boutique also houses a selection of designs from hand-picked designers including Alex Monroe and Corpus Christi.
Kirt’s work regularly appears in Vogue, Harpers and Queen and the Financial Times, while high profile clients include actresses Charlize Theron and Scarlett Johansson.