VickiSarge

Vicki Sarge, former founder and designer for Erickson Beamon and Brooke Metcalfe former Vanity Fair ‘It Girl’ and author of two books, are the dynamic duo behind the recently launched fashion jewellery brand VICKISARGE. Together they draw on inspiration from fashion, music, contemporary culture and art, in order to create unique pieces for the modern women who is both stylish and self-assured. Within the beautifully lavish space of their Belgravia boutique we speak to Vicki and Brooke about their vision and the ethos behind brand.

Vicki: When Brooke and I came together to start Vicki Sarge I thought to myself who am I and who have I become? I sat down and wrote a list that took me back to my routes in Detroit. Growing up there in the late 70‘s was a key influence – there is a musical energy that comes out of that place, which at the time was rock n’ roll. Moving to New York was also an influence. I worked for Studio 54 which was a sophisticated and glamorous nightclub. It was superficial at times but the glam-rock lifestyle also became part of who I am. Whilst there I made a lot of friends in fashion, so I and another friend started designing accessories for their shows and the costume jewellery brand Erickson Beamon was born. I was always a craft orientated person but I hadn’t had any training. We learnt everything as we went along.

Brooke: After I left university I worked at Vogue and then Ralph Lauren but I had studied and been surrounded by art my whole life and done several internships with various artists and architects whilst studying in the States. After a horrible skiing accident brought me home, a friend of my parents offered me a job working for Sotheby’s. It was at the time of the internet bubble, so there were a lot of young people in California, who had a lot of money, but didn’t know how to spend it. We were a young department which meant we were able to advise these clients on the latest cool artists to invest in. It was the first day and age of building a relationship and looking after your customers, which was an invaluable lesson from a retail point of view.

Brooke: I knew Vicki as one of the creative founders of Erickson Beamon. I discovered the brand whilst I was still in New York and I always thought it was one of the most original and exciting brands out there. I owned several pieces and used to visit the London boutique all the time. We were introduced properly by a mutual friend because Vicki had decided to go in a different direction and I was investigating companies that were looking to expand.

Vicki: The mood has changed a lot since I started creating jewellery in 1983. People want something cleaner. It was important to me that I didn’t alienate my existing customer with the new brand but I wanted to give them something that was a bit different.

Brooke: Vicki has a very strong identity when it comes to design but it is important that we move with the customer. The modern woman wants jewellery for every day. We want to provide the extraordinary with the wearable. We want the brand to be special and unique but we also want to put a commercial end on it in order to grow. It is a question of balancing the two.

Brooke: The lucky part of the relationship is that I was the customer for many years so I am working with Vicki to create collections that I want to wear. I no longer want to go to the safe and get something out that I was given by my grandmother. I don’t live that way anymore. I am in a rush. I have got a tonne of kids. When I go on holiday I pack clothes that are easy to wear. I don’t want to think about it. You can completely change an outfit with a fabulous pair of earrings or necklace but it has to be as easy as putting on a pair of shoes. That is the modern attitude.

Vicki: Definitely. Even at the most minimalist of times women still want to express themselves. Costume jewellery it is about dressing up. The self-assured woman is not dictated by what is on the fashion pages although she is fashionable. Iris Apfel is a good example.

Brooke: I am rather minimalist. I like pieces that are edgy but clean.

Vicki: If I am going to a party I try to create a mood with something statement. Otherwise I tend to have a favorite piece that I will wear everyday until something else appeals to me. These days I tend to mix fine jewellery earrings with a big statement necklace.

Vicki: There is a lot more competition. When I first started Erickson Beamon there were probably only 15 designers in New York who were associated with the fashion world. Fine jewellery and fashion jewellery were very divided and designer jewellery hardly existed. Over the years that has developed and these days there are thousands of designers and the boundaries between the genres of jewellery are much more blurred.

Vicki: We are trying to grow a global brand that people can identify all over the world instantly. In order to do so we have to have a strong identity.

Brooke: You have to be sure about who you are and make sure you tell people who you are. A good product is key but you also have to give people security through recognisable factors. Every experience needs to be repetitive and positive, so that it helps embed the brand in customer’s minds. Everything from the packaging to the interior needs to be true to the brand.

Vicki: We make jewellery for moods. I always think about an icon which in the past has included Josephine Baker, Nancy Cunnard, Patti Smith, Megan from Madmen and the mother from bewitched. I take inspiration from these women and the attitude they create or give off. Once I have the mood we look at vintage designs for inspiration. There is no drawing involved, it is a question of experimenting with all the chains, findings and gemstones to create new designs.

Vicki: They are based on emerging fashion trends. Atomic Garden is inspired by flowers, we have a twisted pearl and punky chain collection and a bohemian ethnic collection inspired by the tribal woman in Burma.