GRADUATE FASHION WEEK SHAY D PETER JENSEN FESTIVALS ALEX PRITCHARD

98 DISORDER MAGAZINE
SHINE BRIGHT
LIKE A DIAMOND
IEASHA WALKER talks to Showroom
Shoreditch’s Kelly Jackson about
being a designer and a stockist and
trolling Instagram in search of new
talent.
Showroom Shoreditch is the creation of Only Child jewellery
designer Kelly Jackson. Alongside her jewellery, the showroom
showcases other collections from an array of fashion designers,
making it more than just a concept shop. Walking in you
immediately feel an energised atmosphere. A glass coffin designed
by Lauren Baker is displayed near the front door next to an
impressive collection of jewellery and artwork. “I had a very vague
sixties and seventies vibe in my head... I didn’t want it to be insane
but I wanted the clothes to stand out,” the young designer states in
a bubbly manner.
Kelly majored in Fine Arts and has a background in fashion and
textile design. After working for a few jewellery designers she
decided to create her own brand, which led to Only Child and the
opening of the showroom. “The idea came about because I wanted
to have a retail space in my studio. Then I started speaking to other
people that were designers and everyone was like that’s a really
good idea. So I started viewing spaces, one that I liked was really
big, but I was thinking I couldn’t fill all of that space – jewellery is
really small,” she laughs before getting up to turn off the beeping
shop floor alarm. “I got other people on board and it just kind of
grew from there and I made a really comprehensive business plan
and it worked out quite well.” Seeing designers make the jump
from being in that state of oneness with their own brand to having
a multi-brand shop is impressive, and Kelly is definitely enjoying
every minute of it. “Working with different stockists varies...in
general it’s weirdly creative [and] it’s really nice working outside of
my general collections.”
“Working for Alexander McQueen
was intense but it set me up to
expect what it was like to work
as a designer.”
Kelly is always on the lookout for new collections and designers
to bring into the shop. Already in the showroom is the
collection of designer Kelsey Hutton whom she’d scouted at
Graduate Fashion Week. “I loved the textures... she makes her
own fabrics and I thought that was amazing. She really stood
out to me there and she seemed like the right fit and was really
keen.” Kelly uses social media to comb the waves for new talent.
“I’m obsessed with it – I literally troll Instagram all of the time.
I found quite a few people from there just looking through new
designers’ pictures.”
When looking for new designers to bring into the shop she keeps
it simple and doesn’t really follow a formula but more of a gut
instinct. “I find it really hard to think of the ‘why’ when I choose
people...I guess it’s about their brand vibe and if it works. I look
for something unique, something you don’t see all of the time like