Huston Blasts Off

“I’ve always loved jewellery – my mum’s a gemologist and a designer. I grew up around her workshop. I’d never considered it as a career option.”

“Then in the last year it started to drive me nuts that all the high street jewellery pieces I’d buy would be really great until all the plating wore off. There’d be dirty brass and copper underneath turning my fingers green. I started to realise they were a total waste and I should have just invested in one thing that was going to last. I decided I was going to get a ring made and while I was designing it my mum just said ‘Jenny why don’t you design your own collection’ and I just thought why not?”
“From a technical point of view there’s no way the line would have got from idea to launch in eight months without my mum. She basically made most of the master models and gave me such good advice on technical aspects that I hadn’t even considered – I knew the designs I wanted but when it came down to exact measurements and things like that, she was fantastic.
“The collections are mainly based around my personal style because I feel like I’ve got a bit of a split personality when it comes to fashion – I’m a rock chick at heart and I love music so the Rock & Roll collection reflects that. Then I also like quite preppy clothes and if I want to dress up and feel ladylike I’m not going to wear my guitar necklace, so that’s where I’d lean more towards the sharp angles and clean lines of the geometric collection. Everyday Icons then is a bit more fun, it shows more personality. I think we wear our identities on our sleeves and I like the idea that someone can show a little bit of who they are while wearing essentially a uniform. For example I love the screw cufflinks for men and I love the idea of seeing a sharply dressed guy in a slick suit and the minute you see his cuffs or his lapel you realise there’s a bit of rock and roll underneath the suited exterior.”
“Leaving RTÉ I didn’t really have a plan, I just knew I wanted to travel and study and go outside my comfort zone. I’m so glad that I did and I feel really lucky because so few people get to take a year off to develop and explore their interests. I do miss the little community you develop as a presenter, the rapport between yourself and your regular listeners. But I am so happy and excited about the future of my line. I know it’s a niche thing, it’s not going to be for everybody and I think the people that love pearls and flowers are not going to love lightning bolts and screws, but that’s okay. I think there’s enough people out there who appreciate the fact that it’s well made and high quality, as well as made in Ireland, and hopefully people will buy into that as well as the unique design aspect.”

Jenny’s four collections are available at edgeonly.com