Grape Soup: jewellery that will make you sing

Poetry, art and jewellery-making are as different as chalk and cheese, but London-based poet and performer Kassandra Gordon aims to bring together these different worlds under one roof. Kassandra’s brainchild is Grape Soup, a treasure trove of vibrant costume jewellery inspired by poetry. “Grape Soup was born in August 2011 when I became disappointed in the costume/fashion jewellery world and I felt that I wanted to change the lack of originality,” says Kassandra. “My poetry is inspired by life. Any experience can be poetic. I mainly write in free verse because I don’t want to be restricted to rules and be a ‘slave to the rhyme’.”

Kassandra (who derives her inspiration from poets like David J, Anna Le and Paula Varjack to name a few) was busy writing and performing poetry, however, her search and love for jewellery was insatiable. “I have been making jewellery on and off for a few years and I am a spoken word artist/performance poet so I wanted to combine my passions. I got sick and tired of buying similar costume jewellery from high street shops and seeing other people with the same stuff I had and I couldn’t wait for a high street shop or designer to make jewellery that is different.  I wanted to be free of the same designs everybody is wearing and be my own person,” says Kassandra explaining her ideas behind starting the label. 

While her designs are certainly quirky, what first catches your attention is the name itself. “I wanted something unusual and unique to reflect the brand. I wanted people to remember the brand and also to think if grape soup really exists,” says Kassandra. The collection uses a variety of products including acrylic, beads, resin, wood and semi-precious stones, each material  carefully handpicked in London. The range includes categories such as Funky Funky, Power With Control and Electric, each piece reflecting the vibrancy of the concept that names it.

We never knew jewellery could be so lyrical, but thanks Kassandra for showing the way. To get your hands on a piece from Grape Soup, click here.

Dhanya Nair