Designer Spotlight •
Holly Ryan
Australian born artist and designer, Holly Ryan founded her eponymous jewellery label in 2011. Holly Ryan jewellery dances between the structural and organic and has been featured on the pages of international titles including Vogue, i-D, Harper’s Bazaar, Russh, Unconditional, and L'Officiel.
Favouring a sustainable production cycle within both her Queensland and Sydney production studios, Holly’s jewellery practice imbues the ethos of producing modern heirlooms, designed to be loved now and into the future.
We chatted with Holly to find out about her approach to creating timeless, minimal pieces and how she found inspiration for her RESORT 19 collection, now available at Maryon’s.
Where did you draw your inspiration from your latest collection, RESORT 19?
Resort 19 features a wide range of inspiration from my travels around Italy, France and Spain earlier this year. The Picasso sun face motif is my interpretation taken from a range of ceramics Picasso created between the 50's and 70's with Madoura pottery. The Pearl pieces were inspired by my time spent at Capri on the Amalfi Coast, the rocky coastlines and multiple meals consisting only of oysters. Other inspiration came from multiple gallery visits made including artists such as Richard Serra, Jean Arp, Henri Matisse, Sol Lewitt and Barbara Hepworth. My jewellery designs are always informed by nature, art and architecture.
RESORT 19 features an array of materials, including freshwater pearls - how do you approach the integration of new materials into your collections?
I only introduce new materials if they are natural or ethically produced and sourced. I have always been very fond of pearls because they are timeless and classic however, I wanted to introduce pearls in a more unique way, by celebrating their asymmetry and naturally occurring shapes. I then mimicked these naturally occurring shapes in metal to create the meteor studs and meteor and pearl drop earrings.
RESORT 19 sees you expand into hair accessories and belts and collaborations with Pared Eyewear and Woven Palm footwear. What inspired an extension to your core Holly Ryan jewellery line?
It has always been a dream of mine to expand the Holly Ryan brand further into other types of accessories and eventually even clothing. I had been in talks with Kim Bexon of Woven Palm for a couple of years and so when the opportunity to collaborate with Pared eyewear arose I decided it would be strongest if the shoes and sunglasses had the same theme and colour way.
The squiggle shape used in the arms of the sunglasses and buckles on the shoes are a key shape I have used for years inspired by large scale metal sculptures created by minimalist American artist Richard Serra. I then decided to add belts to the mix using that same key Squiggle shape as well as the new spiral shape I have used in earring designs this season, actually inspired by Muriel in Muriel’s Wedding!
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