Making Space: How Ryenn’s Eyes Began
Creativity. Community. Collaboration. Breaking boundaries. Co-founder Kjersten Bradley shares her thoughts on what makes Ryenn’s Eyes so very special.
Maybe you’ve heard of Ryenn’s Eyes already. Maybe you’re wearing some of our jewellery right now. Maybe you’re here for the first time (welcome). Maybe you’re just curious to know more. Who we are. What makes us different. What sets our designs apart from the pack. Let our co-founder Kjersten Bradley paint a picture.
Every good story has a beginning. Every creative project starts somewhere. Our jewellery brand is no exception.
“Ryenn’s Eyes was born from a need for freedom and creative liberation. Myself and [fellow co-founder] Eric Soloff had worked together for six years. We were used to ‘falling in line’ and supporting the vision of other brands within their rules and constraints. So, we decided to do something new. On our own terms. To use our combined 40 years of knowledge and experience of the jewellery industry. To build something that felt more like a reflection of our own ethos and passions. That was the start of Ryenn’s Eyes.”
Beautiful, characterful jewellery, unbound by rules, boundaries, or conventions
“We want to create and share jewellery with a level of quality that is to be admired – and in doing so, to carve out a completely new space for ourselves. Sometimes a design will be gold-plated brass, sometimes sterling silver, sometimes gold vermeil – maybe even solid gold, eventually. Each piece is made the way that it should be. Created for the intention of how it will be worn.
Our design ethos is very aligned with that of the brand. Every piece is special because it is designed to be its ‘best self’. We love exploring contradictions and fighting concepts: masculine/feminine, soft/hard, bold/simple, sculptural/geometric, natural/synthetic. This is an exciting space to be creative. It’s almost jarring when you first enter our world to create, because people are so used to boundaries. Once you start to get comfortable with the space, the fun begins...”
Creativity at our core. From concept to completion
“Every collection starts with a thought. Some more abstract than others. For all of us working on the pieces, it provides a spark. A place for the inspiration to grow from. We start to create stories within the collections and the pieces. Maybe one day we can share all these stories – diary entries of sorts, from the people who imagined them, to the people who crafted them. Sometimes a design might appear simple, but its creativity comes in the craft. Other styles might appear louder in their creativity.”
A meeting of minds. A harmony influences. A vibrant creative community
“Everything we do is about the Ryenn’s Eyes collective. We are a group who came together to create something. We work with designers, creators, and artists of all mediums to bring the brand to life. Supporting local creatives within a global network. This is the element that keeps everything exciting and new. I’m amazed at how creatives can interpret the same concept and idea in different ways. To draw on their personal influences to create something special and unique to them. There is a thread that is woven through everything we do, but sometimes you have to look carefully. To see it. That’s intentional.”
Let’s talk about those we want to style. To embellish. Adorn. Who are our people?
“Ryenn’s Eyes jewellery is not made for one age, gender, or demographic. The decision is in the hands of the wearer. No one ever fits in a neat box. We are all more complicated than that. By trying to understand people in such a defined way, we miss their beauty. At the beginning I would sometimes worry about our boundaryless view being interpreted as trying to be ‘everything for everyone’, but that’s just not the case.
We want to use Ryenn’s Eyes to connect people with a similar taste, attitude, and perception of life. The people drawn to Ryenn’s Eyes are multidimensional, open-minded and look at things a little differently. They are infinitely curious about art, culture, fashion, design, psychology, anthropology, and all things creative. They cherish community and collaboration.
We don’t take ourselves too seriously. We want to create a space where people can come in and share their perspectives. To invite them. This is an open dialogue. We don’t follow rules… and we don’t create them either. Every collection is different – and every piece within a collection is different – but they all work together.”
Creating space to welcome change
“Our multidimensional brand is always evolving. We feel that way as individuals, so why not allow Ryenn’s Eyes to be as authentic as we strive to be? There will always be room for evolution in our intentions. It would be stubborn (and narrow-minded) of us to believe that things cannot, and will not, shift and change. We have become more open by allowing the brand to move through its natural flow. It’s funny what happens when you loosen your grip on things. To plant seeds and watch how they grow. Organically. Something even more beautiful than you ever could have mapped out starts to happen.”
A glance at the crystal ball. A glimpse into the future.
“A new Ryenn’s Eyes collection will be dropping later this month. It has playful elements and features some pieces that layer perfectly with our current collections. Then, in autumn, we will launch a jewellery collection in collaboration with the artist Quentin Jones. It’s stunning. And so special. We cannot wait to share it with everyone. There are so many exciting things ahead of us, probably even more that we don’t even know about yet. We are just getting started…”