Suzanne Smith: The art of textile jewellery

Creating textiles and hand-crafted items were a big trend at one time; in some homes a lot of the items had been made by hand. Now it is very rare that you can find a person who can sew, knit and crochet. Suzanne Smith isn’t one of those people.

Suzanne is a designer and maker of contemporary jewellery and textile art. She graduated in 2006 from Glasgow School of Art with a BA (Hons) in Jewellery and Silversmithing, became an Artist in Residence for a further two years and in 2008 founded her studio at WASPS Glasgow. She has been involved with Made in the Shade to promote contemporary Scottish design, was the Regional Coordinator for the Association for Contemporary Jewellery in Scotland and developed her professional practice while teaching at Glasgow School of Art and Glasgow Metropolitan College. In 2010 she relocated to Durham where she works from a studio to create products for exhibitions, galleries, retail outlets and private commissions.

Within her work, she draws upon traditional jewellery techniques combined with textiles, found objects and recycled materials to produce unique objects of adornment and decoration. These cute hairpins with a fabric flower on the end are really cute. Her brooches are really simple but it’s the use of vintage-looking fabrics that give them appeal as well them appearing handmade. This necklace is amazing, though. It’s a simple drop but it has tiny green flowers made from fabric attached to it.

What inspires Suzanne to combine jewellery and textiles? She said, “A collector by nature, I constantly gather and store relics of the past. From old lace to chocolate boxes, I enjoy transforming vintage materials by recycling and reusing in new work. A variety of materials are incorporated including precious metals, handmade felt, hand dyed vintage lace, leather, textiles and found objects. I like to travel, visit flea markets, antique shops, museums and architecture, where I photograph and record all that captivates me to use in my designs.” What is great about Suzanne’s jewellery is the hand-made quality, it doesn’t look mass produced, and you will own a piece of jewellery that not many people will have.

You might find that when you see Suzanne’s designs it inspires you to pick up a needle and thread or a pair of knitting needles. Head to her website to check out these hand-crafted beauties here. 

Jenny Rodgers
Photos: Courtesy of Suzanne Smith