A one stop shop for all your gift needs.

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Michael Hawkins
6 years ago
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1 A one stop shop for all your gift needs.

At his studio boutique, at 81 Vyse Street, Burbo K ture creates bespoke pieces for all occasions.

2 Paul Burbage and model Sy-Anne Taylor BurboK ture As the saying goes, You either know fashion or you don t. There s no doubt that designer, fashion director and stylist Paul Burbridge, aka Burbo K ture, knows fashion. At his studio boutique, at 81 Vyse Street, Burbo K ture creates bespoke pieces for all occasions. Using texture, print, form and embellishment, he draws upon myriad multicultural influences for an array of unique designs. Burbo K ture has been designing clothes for more than four years, so it is surprising to learn that he entered the industry completely self-taught, with no training or fashion qualifications. He describes himself as an artistic director who works with fabric as a point of communication. He uses customisation to re-structure fabric and revels in breaking down the components, combining and piecing them together to create wearable art. Taking the materials apart allows Paul to learn the structure of a garment and what it can be used for. Burbo K ture is not just a designer: he s also a stylist who works on photoshoots, short films, catwalks and live events. He also holds one-to-one styling sessions. It s important for Paul to understand a person s body when styling and the studio offers a private space for personal shopping, which enables visitors to wear what they want, how they want to, a statement which Paul believes in strongly

If diamonds are a girl s best friend, then her handbag is her deputy. Unlike the precious gems, a handbag is functional, more affordable and always on your arm. Enter Gosia Weber.

Step over the threshold and you ll find an array of beautifully handcrafted handbags, purses and accessories hanging on the walls.

3 If diamonds are a girl s best friend, then her handbag is her deputy. Unlike the precious gems, a handbag is functional, more affordable and always on your arm. Enter Gosia Weber. Gosia s studio in Frederick Street is a veritable Aladdin s cave for handbag lovers. Step over the threshold and you ll find an array of beautifully handcrafted handbags, purses and accessories hanging on the walls. So many, that you may find it hard to know where to start, or, more accurately, where to stop. It s surprising to learn that Gosia Weber is self-taught and began her trade by making her own clothes in her native Poland. She was never interested in following the latest fashions; instead, she focused on forging her own identity through her designs. It wasn t until she was stopped in the street and asked about her designs that she thought she might be able to turn her ideas into a business. In 2005, she made the decision to leave Poland and move to the Jewellery Quarter something she saw as more of an adventure than a business plan at the time. Each of her individually designed leather handbags are handmade and Gosia prides herself on making the most of off-cuts and remnants of leather and upholstery fabric. It means anyone buying one of her creations has a one-off. Gosia travels across the country to sell her handbags at craft fairs and her unique goods are also available to buy online, we re lucky enough to have her on our doorstep. If you d like to arrange a bespoke appointment at her JQ studio, her at gosia@bagshandmade.co.uk.

Ricky Harvey and Matt Hawkins What do you buy the drag queen who has everything?

A jeweller by trade, Ricky started the business in 2015 when Matt Hawkins, now business partner, approached him to make a dress for a friend who was a drag queen.

demand across the country. Now, dresses by Sequin Showstoppers can be found as far as the Canary Islands and it is the only supplier of bespoke drag attire this side of London.

4 Ricky Harvey and Matt Hawkins What do you buy the drag queen who has everything? Look no further than Sequin Showstoppers: a no-holds-barred bespoke dressmakers in Vyse Street, launched by long-term friends Ricky Harvey and Matt Hawkins. A jeweller by trade, Ricky started the business in 2015 when Matt Hawkins, now business partner, approached him to make a dress for a friend who was a drag queen. Through word of mouth on Birmingham s thriving drag scene, Matt s unique sense of style began adding a dash of extra sparkle to the frocks of drag queens across city, before Matt found himself in demand across the country. Now, dresses by Sequin Showstoppers can be found as far as the Canary Islands and it is the only supplier of bespoke drag attire this side of London. By day, Ricky hand makes contemporary silver jewellery at his Vyse Street shop below Sequin Showstoppers. By night, the upstairs becomes a glittering catwalk for drag queens, burlesque dancers and women who are searching for something extra special for glitzy parties and balls. Ricky and Matt have since teamed up with Pure Joy pole dancing studio in the Jewellery Quarter to create bespoke parties for birthdays, brides-to-be and for special occasions, where you can dress up and try your hand at burlesque.

Kate Gilliland William Morris once said: The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life.

Kate describes her work as wearable natural history, designing and making elegant jewellery everything from unique bird claw engagement rings to tiny delicate mouse femur bones.

She spent a great deal of her childhood exploring the Welsh coastline near her grandparents home and collecting natural curiosities a fascination that can be seen in her jewellery designs today.

5 Kate Gilliland William Morris once said: The true secret of happiness lies in taking a genuine interest in all the details of daily life. This is the ethos that Kate Gilliland, a jewellery designer and natural history enthusiast, lives and breathes. Kate describes her work as wearable natural history, designing and making elegant jewellery everything from unique bird claw engagement rings to tiny delicate mouse femur bones. Her work is a celebration of life, by casting pieces of nature in precious metal she preserves these tiny fragments of life for generations to come. She spent a great deal of her childhood exploring the Welsh coastline near her grandparents home and collecting natural curiosities a fascination that can be seen in her jewellery designs today. Kate discovers her finds on various adventures in England and on travels abroad and she often gets unusual parcels in the post from friends. She studied Jewellery and Silversmithing at De Montfort University in Leicester and six years ago moved to the Jewellery Quarter after being awarded a place on Design Space in 2010, a scheme set up in the Quarter to support emerging jewellery designers. Here she developed her skills with mentoring and business advice from successful local jewellers. Since then, Kate s career has soared. Her work has brought the world to her studio in Caroline Street; it is home to a monkey skull from Tanzania, dolphin vertebrae that was washed up on the coast of Scotland and a field mouse, which has since toured the European exhibition circuit. She now designs and makes her jewellery from her workshop. Kate sells her pieces online through her website and can be commissioned to make bespoke engagement and wedding rings and all manner of weird and wonderful creations.

Hasret Brown Birmingham is known for its iconic and varied architecture, from the brutalist concrete lines of the old central library to the fashion-inspired curves of Selfridges.

It was only after artist Hasret Brown left her native Turkey did she appreciate the forms, colours and shapes of her homeland s architecture and art.

After attaining an HND in Business and Marketing at Solihull College, which was followed by a marketing degree at Wolverhampton University, she went on to become a successful product manager.

6 Hasret Brown Birmingham is known for its iconic and varied architecture, from the brutalist concrete lines of the old central library to the fashion-inspired curves of Selfridges. It s only when we return to the city after an absence that we realise just how important these buildings are to us. It was only after artist Hasret Brown left her native Turkey did she appreciate the forms, colours and shapes of her homeland s architecture and art. Hasret arrived in Birmingham 19 years ago, with just 150 in her pocket and a goal to improve her English. After attaining an HND in Business and Marketing at Solihull College, which was followed by a marketing degree at Wolverhampton University, she went on to become a successful product manager. However, four years ago she decided to follow her dreams of becoming a full time artist and she now makes Islamic-inspired artwork using geometric patterns. Spending so much time away from Turkey has developed her strong appreciation for Islamic architecture and her creations bring a little piece of Turkey in to the heart of the Jewellery Quarter. Using her own colours made from earth pigments and real gold, Hasret can spend up to 500 hours on a piece of art, using only a pencil, ruler and a compass as her guide. She strongly believes that everybody has the capability to be creative and, in addition to creating her art, she runs workshops, with a weekend course costing 80. For more information, visit

Her designs take inspiration from a huge range of subjects, from baked beans to teapots, and from wishbones to farm animals.

7 Ellie Ingram From your Great British Bake-Off obsessed best friend, to your budding bedroom DJ boyfriend, Bug s got it covered. Ellie Ingram has carved herself a career making jewellery based on our nostalgia, and she knows what makes us tick. As far back as Ellie can remember, she s had a creative obsession. Her designs take inspiration from a huge range of subjects, from baked beans to teapots, and from wishbones to farm animals. Bug s pieces are silver storytellers that are destined to bring happy memories rising to the surface. These delicate pieces may look simple, but don t be fooled Ellie can spend a whole day (and more) crafting intricate details such as a satellite dish & TV aerial for a miniature chicken house and layering up sheets of silver to create a rubber duck for her latest collection, Summer Farm (a happy haven for farm animals that helps to raise money for Animal Aid). All of Bug s unique pieces are handmade from silver and forged using traditional silversmithing techniques including piercing, soldering and enamelling. Many of these unique trinkets have working mechanics, such as a toaster with popping toast and SMEG fridges with hinged doors. On the rare off-chance that you haven t seen something that strikes a chord with your inner child, Bug will take your wildest dreams and turn them into a beautifully bespoke adaptation: no dream is too wild. Prices vary, ranging from

David-Louis David-Louis If you re looking for an individual gift for the man in your life, look no further than gift designer David-Louis.

hipflasks are just a few of the products that he has designed, produced and now sells within Artfull Expression. Catering for the man who has everything, David s products are stylishly practical.

For those with a slightly bigger budget, David designs traditional Swiss watches, many of which can be customised with monograms, personal messages and straps.

8 David-Louis David-Louis If you re looking for an individual gift for the man in your life, look no further than gift designer David-Louis. David has found a way to individualise the gifts that you probably hadn t even thought of solid silver chopsticks, solid silver plectrums, engraved tankards, quirky bottle openers, and personalised hipflasks are just a few of the products that he has designed, produced and now sells within Artfull Expression. Catering for the man who has everything, David s products are stylishly practical. Take, for example, the Godfather Spaghetti Measuring Device, which has carefully sized holes to allow you to measure the perfect spaghetti portion. For those with a slightly bigger budget, David designs traditional Swiss watches, many of which can be customised with monograms, personal messages and straps. David s career started in Dublin, where he trained as a watchmaker. In order to broaden his offering, he moved to Birmingham to complete a silversmithing course at the School of Jewellery, before working at the Assay Office in With his passion for design and a nose for business, David went on to work for Gifts of Distinction: a silver gifts company based in Rugby, but soon discovered that being so far away from the main source of stock was bad for business. Spotting a resolution for their supply chain problem, David bought the business and moved it to the heart of the Jewellery Quarter. David s passion for entrepreneurship earned him the NatWest Entrepeneur of the Year Award in He spent the winnings on a PC, which changed his working life, giving him the competitive edge he needed at the start of the digital age. He now works closely alongside the School of Jewellery to help develop the entrepreneurial skills of students. All of David-Louis products are made to order and a selection can be found on display at Artfull Expression on Warstone Lane. For the full collection, please visit

The One Carat Diamond Specialists

The One Carat Diamond Specialists includes the victorian wedding venue directory www.theleadingweddingvenues.com.au THE WEdding Planning specialists 725 Main Road Eltham Victoria 3095 T 03 9439 3111 E