Admiring Orchids

The exotic-looking plant that sat on my windowsill at uni had caught my eye in IKEA. I was drawn to its deep purple-pink flowers and the soft silky feel of its petals. It had roots growing over the pot and large green leaves, which were a contrast to the delicate, woody stems.

The flower wilted away a few weeks later and, through lack of attention on my part, didn’t return. I abandoned my little plant and decided that it was probably best not to replace it, given its short shelf life.

That was until a friend bought me another orchid as a house warming gift. It was almost identical to the one I’d had previously and, sure enough, it thrived for a while until the last petals dropped and I was left wondering what to do with it.

My mum had an orchid on her kitchen windowsill and she told me to give it a little water and the flowers would grow back. They did and I reassured myself that I wasn’t quite so rubbish at caring for house plants!

Orchids are quite sentimental to me; my mum and I have gifted each other orchids and they remind me of her. They’ve inspired a lot of my work, mainly because I do a lot of my thinking when I’m washing up and they’re sat right in front of me! The orchid hair vine, for example, inspired the whole Bloom collection. I had planned to transform it in to a necklace but it needed more weight, which led to me creating bases for the necklace details to sit on.

The colours, to me, are typical of the plants that grace the windowsills of my mum and I; rich purple, pale pink and white in opal effect Swarovski crystals with contrasting pearl centres. The little flowers vary in size along the necklace; some have four petals, some have less, adding depth and interest to the design and paying tribute to the lifecycle of the plant. The opal effect pale green crystals and pearl details are a nod to the leaves and roots that creep out of the plant pots.

Why you’ll love it:

As one of the more heavily detailed pieces, it would work beautifully as a bridal necklace with its soft colours, however I’ve worn it with a pale pink jumper and have received lovely comments about it, so it’s great to dress up a more casual outfit. The opal effects on the crystals give a muted feel, making it much more wearable for every day than some of the more sparkly pieces. The Orchid necklace also lends itself really well to be transformed into a bridal belt or hair vine, as model Katie demonstrates here:

You can purchase your necklace from 26th June but if you’d like a reminder when the collection is available, you can sign up here :)

Wishing you all a lovely weekend!

Photography: Auguste Chocianaite | Model: Katie Taylor | Hair: Lydia Wallis | Makeup: Danny Williams | Dresses: Curve Bridal