It was an intimate affair, about which Director of Marketing Carrie Niese explained, “We’ve invited our best customers, friends of Stephen, and socialites to celebrate today.”
Slender champagne flutes and hibiscus tea garnished with blackberries flew off the trays faster than the glittering pink and purple cupcakes. Finger sandwiches and mini scones rounded out the British bite and left guests hands-free to point at choice pieces in the center display—a burgundy snakeskin and glass display case that curves like the vertebrae of a serpent.
“Even though we have over 20 boutiques around the world, we have always felt underrepresented in our hometown. For that reason, we have gone all out to express the creativity of our brand. … Everything from the window, the showcases, and the various objects have been created in our own studio,” commented Webster.
Stephen Webster’s sophisticated rock aesthetic fits in well with the art dealers and eclectic luxury retailers of Mayfair’s Mount Street. Designed by Kelly Hoppen, the space is a “steam punk”-style interpretation of 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea.
Shark jaws and griffins in black Swarowski crystal pavé hang from the walls. Webster’s own guitar leans next to the case housing the Men’s Silver collection. In the jewel-toned VIP room, guests can rest in the plush corner sofa and admire the crustaceans atop the aged glass tables and, along one wall, aquarium-inspired displays house black coral and the Shattered collection’s organic Art Deco lines.
At the event, a frisson of guests crowded around the one-off anodized titanium Jewels Verne Flying Fish collection, an off-shoot of the Jewels Verne Silver collection. With lines that recall a baroque techno-aesthetic, fan-finned fish twist into deep electric blue and pavé objets d’art. The Silver collection is also drawn from the sea. Think multi-stranded silver and pearl necklaces with ornate lobster claw clasps (as seen on the right) and gold-plated lobster earrings with dangling tangles of delicate chains.
Webster’s designers, corporate team, and guests seemed thrilled with the opening. Despite an over-the-top interior, the subtle extravagance of the day kept the attention on the collections themselves. One trio of immaculately coiffed ladies surveying the wares exclaimed, “And again, I’ll take home the earrings.”
