London jeweller Alex Monroe has been crafting a world of bees, brambles, wildflowers and woodland creatures from his workshop in the capital for 40 years.
Since emerging from art college in the 1980s, Monroe has built an instantly recognisable aesthetic rooted in nature, romance and British craftsmanship – long before ‘slow luxury’ became industry shorthand.
As he marks the brand’s 40th anniversary this year, with boutiques in Snowfields and Covent Garden, we sat down to discuss the city that shaped him, the enduring pull of the natural world, and why creativity – much like style – has very little to do with age.
Square Mile: How has London shaped the jewellery you make?
Alex Monroe: I’m well known for using nature in my designs and London has some incredible wild spaces. But I think I’ve done most of my drawing in the Chelsea physic garden where you can find any sort of plant from all around the world. I’m particularly keen on the ferns there.
Actually, I moved to London because I loved fashion, style and music. So probably the biggest influence London has had on me is its electric and cosmopolitan vibe.
I love how stylish people are and how international it is. If you want to work with vibrant urban people, and if you want to be international, London is the place to be.
If you want to work with vibrant urban people, and if you want to be international, London is the place to be
SM: Why has keeping the workshop in London remained so important to you?
AM: I think it’s partly because of the wonderful pool of people you can work with. We’ve had talented young women from Japan, Thailand, Norway, Ghana… I mean all over! I love the vibrancy of this city.
SM: What still surprises you in nature after 40 years of observing it so closely?
AM: Nature is limitless. I’ve hardly scratched the surface after 40 years. And I have stacks of sketch books full of ideas. I just need about three more lives please.
SM: What stories from customers have stayed with you most?
AM: There have been so many. Lots of them too personal to repeat in public. We’ve had celebrations, love, loss and tragedy. If you really want to know what story has really stuck with me it’s the couple who met over one of the nipple clamps I made for Coco de Mer, and now they wanted wedding rings! Cute or what?
SM: How do you stay creatively curious after 40 years?
AM: Surely everybody knows that the years roll by but you essentially stay the same. My creativity isn’t going anywhere. I get great inspiration from people like Paul Smith or David Attenborough. I mean. Age really is just a number isn't it?
See more at alexmonroe.com
