Jewellery designer, Annoushka Ducas MBE on the art of sporting your finest jewellery pieces from day to night.
When it comes to jewellery etiquette, we have come a long way from the very rigid parameters of years gone by. Even just 20 years ago, wearing diamonds during the day would be met with a frown or two. And as is always the case, trends come and go but style – especially timeless jewellery – remains.
Living in Abu Dhabi, perhaps you’ve come to appreciate and indeed embrace the larger than life dress code that seems to be a staple in both supermarkets and soirées. Therefore, there’s no reason to cling to inhibitions.
Recently, at a ‘Women in Business’ dinner held in Coya Abu Dhabi and hosted by British jewellery designer, Annoushka Ducas, owner of her eponymous brand, Annoushka, alongside celebrity stylist, Sarah Price, the MBE designer spoke candidly on how she built her brand and continues to thrive as an astute businesswoman.
In and amongst that, she lent her pearls of wisdom on how and why we should wear dazzling jewels during the day – contrary to universal belief.
A noteworthy tip to begin with, is making sure your pieces are packed with versatility. “All of my jewellery can be styled differently from day to night,” says Annoushka. “I design my collections to work on multiple levels. Collections such as Dusty Diamonds, Hoopla and my new Chameleon Ring have interchangeable elements, allowing you to experiment with your jewellery style depending on your mood.” The key takeaway here, is that investing in pieces which can be worn as a base and then built upon, is a sure-fire way to integrate finer jewellery into your daytime look. Additionally, if you’ve got heirloom pieces that haven’t seen the light of day in a while, give them a modern twist by stacking them with newer pieces.
Not forgetting too, personalisation has become a focus for fine jewellery – “initials can be added to any chain or charm bracelet which makes them incredibly wearable – they’re not something that should be sitting in a dusty jewellery box! I design my jewellery to be layered and stacked with abandon: I’m a big believer in more is more when it comes to jewellery and my personal style reflects this. I love mixing different coloured metals and chains of different lengths for a statement look,” adds Annoushka.
Moving from rings, bracelets and necklaces to earrings, Annoushka feels statement earrings are like wearing high heels – they need to be comfortable without making you want to take them off after an hour. Her top tip here, is to look out for earrings that have a lot of negative space – which means they are light and airy – so they can be worn from day to night.
The upshot is, when it comes to finding pieces that best represent you, allow your inner magpie to sing out loud – because no one in Abu Dhabi will ever bat an eyelid.
UAE residents can purchase Annoushka jewellery from www.annoushka.com
