At home with: Holly Ryan
On a more personal note.
How much do you know about the jewellery you own? More specifically, how much do you know about the people who create it?
In our new series, At Home, we’re endeavouring to learn a little more about the people responsible for filling our wardrobes.
Most recently, we spent a little time with one of our favourite jewellery designers, Holly Ryan.
In the morning I… have a big cuddle with my dog, a golden retriever named Hugo. I feed him, shower, make coffee and drive to work to plan the day. I rarely eat breakfast except at midday on the weekends.
My perfume is… 1270 by P Frapin & Cie. It’s warm, woody, smoky and nutty. It’s sensual and reminds me of being in the forest. You can find it here.
But my favourite smell is… night-blooming jasmine. It’s intoxicating. It reminds me of romance; of falling in love.
The most special people in my life are… my friends, my family and my staff, who are all my good friends outside of work also. I love them so much, they make every day at work fun.
I’m inspired by… large-scale sculpture, architecture, conceptual art and nature.
My favourite artists are… Christiane Spangsberg, Constantin Brâncuși, Jean Hans Arp, Fiona Hall, Richard Serra, Matisse, Alexander Calder, Carl Andre, Mark Rothko and Lee Ufan. I’m sorry it is such a large list and there are so many more not listed, but I had to stop somewhere haha.
At the moment I’m reading… nothing! I have had no time to read since my trip to Tasmania in January, when I read a book called The Vegetarian by Han Kang. It was a little disturbing but beautifully written.
My favourite book is… Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell.
In a fire, the one thing I would save is… my dog!!
I always wear… my jewellery. I never take off my 14k signet ring, 14k Unconditional ring, a plain 14k stacking ring and my Gold Wavee necklace. I wear it all in the shower/ocean/to bed.
What calms me most is… the ocean, it is my happy place.
My best friends are… in Melbourne, New York, Tokyo, London, Brisbane and my home town on the Sunshine Coast. Distance means nothing with true best friends. I feel so lucky to know them all, they all inspire me every day. They are all creative in some way: one is a hat maker, one is an architect, a creative director, an arts therapist, a painter, an academic, a contemporary arts professional, a producer, a writer, a stylist, a fashion designer, photographer etc. I work with a lot of them regularly and it is so much fun to create work we are all proud of together.
What I value most is… friendship, my friends are honestly amazing.
Mum always said that I… have always been strong-minded and determined.
I’m happiest when I… am with Hugo at the beach; drinking wine and eating cheese with my friends; or in my studio with my team.
My nail colour is… natural. I don’t wear nail polish because it gets chipped so easily at the workbench. Also, I am very simplistic when it comes to beauty. I barely ever wear makeup, just moisturiser, and I let my hair dry naturally, I don’t style it.
I dress for… myself. Day to day, what I wear is very basic, denim and a T-shirt mostly. On the weekends I wear a lot of silk and linen slip dresses, or silk tops with denim. I am shoe crazy, I have lots and lots of shoes, and even more jewellery.
I feel best when I… am immersed in water, preferably the sea. I love being in the sun and having sandy hair. I really like hiking too, it’s my favourite type of exercise, climbing mountains.
I feel safest when I… am not driving! I was a little late to the party and only got my licence a few months ago. I’m still very nervous behind the wheel.
I want to… travel to Italy. Hopefully, I will make it there on my way home from Germany for my friend’s wedding in August.
I miss… my friends on the other side of the world.
I value… love, friendship, family, good food, good wine, great art and great conversation.
The best piece of advice I’ve ever been given is… to ‘be yourself’ and that it’s okay to be vulnerable. There is nothing more attractive or inspiring to me than when I meet someone who is without a doubt giving you the most honest and real versions of themselves. It’s a potent marriage of strength and vulnerability, and I find that very sexy.
Liked this? You’ll love these...
