MEET THE OWNER AND DESIGNER OF F+H JEWELLERY, SHARONA HARRIS.
AS OUR FIRST INTERVIEW FOR THE F+H BACKSTAGE JOURNAL SERIES, WE TALK TO SHARONA ABOUT HER INSPIRATIONS, WHAT SHE'S LEARNT SO FAR IN 2020, AS WELL AS WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR F+H JEWELLERY.
WHAT WAS THE INSPIRATION BEHIND STARTING F+H:
F+H WAS CREATED AS I COULDN'T FIND ANY JEWELLERY ON THE MARKET THAT RESONATED WITH MY TOUGH LUXE AESTHETIC. MOST JEWELLERY BRANDS AT THE TIME WERE ULTRA-FINE AND FEMININE OR OVERLY BOHEMIAN, WHICH IS NOT MY STYLE.
I WANTED TO CREATE A BRAND THAT HAD A LITTLE BIT OF TOMBOY APPEAL, BUT WAS ALSO STRONG, MODERN AND SOPHISTICATED. I ALSO WANTED TO BE ABLE TO INFUSE MY LOVE OF MUSIC CULTURE FROM THE 70S, 80S AND 90S INTO MY DESIGN INSPIRATION.
WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO?
AT THE MOMENT I AM LOVING YAEJI'S NEW ALBUM, 'WHAT WE DREW', THIS IS ON HIGH ROTATION IN THE F+H HEAD OFFICE.
I ALSO RECENTLY CREATED A HOUSE PARTY PLAYLIST ON SPOTIFY, WITH SOME OF MY FAVOURITE TRACKS FROM THE 70S, TO EARLY 200S, THAT GET ME IN THE MOOD FOR THE WEEKEND.
LISTEN TO THE PLAYLIST HERE
FAVOURITE PODCASTS:
I LISTEN TO A LOT OF MARC MARON WITH HIS PODCAST 'WTF'. HE'S ONE OF MY FAVOURITE COMEDIANS AND HIS INTERVIEWS WITH HIS GUESTS ARE VERY RELAXED AND CONVERSATIONAL, MAKING IT THE PERFECT PODCAST FOR WHEN I'M WALKING OR DRIVING TO HELP ME UNWIND.
I HAVE ALSO JUST DISCOVERED DOCUMENTARIAN LOUIS THEROUX NEW PODCAST, 'GROUNDED', AND HIS FIRST INTERVIEWS WITH BOY GEORGE AND HELENA BONHAM CARTER WERE GREAT. I LOVE HIS QUIRKY STYLE, SO I THINK THIS WILL QUICKLY BECOME A FAVOURITE PODCAST FOR ME.
WHAT I AM READING:
'CATCH- 22' BY JOSEPH HELLER, IT'S A SATIRICAL WAR NOVEL THAT WAS WRITTEN IN THE 1950S. IT'S A DRAMA BUT ALSO A BLACK COMEDY, AS IT WAS WRITTEN IN RESPONSE TO THE SADNESS BUT ALSO THE ABSURDITY OF WAR. I ALWAYS TRY TO READ CLASSICS, AS I THINK LIFE IS SO SHORT AND THERE ARE SO MANY GREAT BOOKS THAT I WANT TO READ, THIS IS DEFINITELY ONE OF THEM.
GEORGE CLOONEY ALSO PRODUCED A MINI-SERIES BASED ON THE BOOK, BUT IN MY OPINION IT JUST DOESN'T DO IT JUSTCE, SORRY GEORGE.
MORNING RITUALS:
I HAVE ALWAYS BEEN AN EARLY RISER, DAWN IS THE FAVOURITE PART OF MY DAY. I NORMALLY WAKE AROUND 5:30AM WITHOUT AN ALARM, AND HAVE A CUP OF TEA TO START THE DAY. I THEN LIKE TO WALK FOR AN HOUR, TO GET FRESH AIR, IT'S ALSO GREAT TO HAVE TIME TO PLAN YOUR DAY, AND SO MANY OF MY IDEAS COME TO ME WHEN I AM WALKING.
ONCE I GET HOME MY BEAUTIFUL HUSBAND NORMALLY MAKES ME PORRIDGE (IT'S HIS SPECIALTY) AND A MATCHA BEFORE I HEAD TO THE OFFICE BY 8AM.
MY STYLING ESSENTIALS:
I'VE BEEN LIVING IN MY DOUBLE DYLAN LINK EARRINGS SINCE WE RELEASED THEM LAST YEAR. THEY ADD JUST ENOUGH EDGE FOR MY DAILY STYLING WITHOUT BEING TOO HEAVY OR TOO BOLD, AND THEY EASILY LAYER WITH SMALLER STUDS FOR A COOL LAYERED LOOK.
OTHER THAN MY JEWELLERY ESSENTIALS I CAN'T GET ENOUGH OF MY DR. MARTENS, I WEAR THE PLATFORM STYLES IN EITHER THE BOOT, SANDAL OR SHOE, THEY ARE MY ABSOLUTE GO-TO!
WHAT I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT:
I CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT THE OCEAN. I HAVE LIVED BY THE OCEAN MY WHOLE LIFE AND I ALWAYS WILL. SINCE MOVING TO BYRON I HAVE LEARNT HOW TO SURF AND IT'S THE BEST THING I HAVE EVER EXPERIENCED, AND IT'S ALSO BEEN A GREAT WAY TO HANG OUT WITH FRIENDS.
I AM ALSO TRYING TO START A ROUTINE OF SWIMMING EACH DAY, NO MATTER WHAT. I AM A COLD PERSON BY NATURE, SO STICKING TO THIS GOAL IN WINTER IS GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE!
THE BEST PART ABOUT MY JOB:
THE FREEDOM IS BY FAR THE BEST PART ABOUT RUNNING YOUR OWN BUSINESS, AND IT ALSO SUITS MY PERSONALITY TYPE AS I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH BEING SELF MOTIVATED.
STYLING CAMPAIGN SHOOTS IS ALSO A HIGHLIGHT, AS IT IS A GREAT WAY TO CELEBRATE EVERYTHING COMING TOGETHER AND REALLY BEING ABLE TO SHOWCASE NEW DESIGNS IN THE EXACT WAY I WANT TO PRESENT THEM TO THE WORLD.
WHAT YOU'RE LOOKING FORWARD TO DOING AFTER RESTRICTIONS EASE?
I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO GOING OUT SUPPORTING OUR LOCAL BUSINESSES IN BYRON BAY AGAIN. THE HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY HAS BEEN ONE OF THE HARDEST HIT, ESPECIALLY IN A TOURIST AREA LIKE BYRON BAY WHERE SO MANY PEOPLE ARE EMPLOYED IN THIS INDUSTRY.
AS A SMALL GESTURE TO SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS, I'VE PURCHASED A DINNER IN ADVANCE AT ONE OF MY FAVOURITE RESTAURANTS IN TOWN, ST ELMOS, HOPEFULLY IT WON'T BE TOO LONG UNTIL THEY CAN REOPEN THEIR DOORS AGAIN.
YOU CAN DO THIS HERE.
WHAT DOES THE FUTURE OF F+H LOOK LIKE?
RIGHT NOW I AM FOCUSING ON HOW WE CAN BECOME MORE SUSTAINABLE. WE ARE ALREADY DOING WHAT WE CAN BY USING RECYCLED PAPER, BIODEGRADABLE PACKAGING, SOLAR POWER FOR OUR OFFICE AND BOUTIQUE, AND WE HAVE ALWAYS PRODUCED OUR JEWELLERY IN SMALL BATCHES TO AVOID WASTE, BUT THERE IS SO MUCH MORE I WANT TO BE DOING.
IT'S NOT AN EASY PATH TO PERSUE, BUT WE ARE WORKING TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN TO TRY AND MAKE OUR PROCESS AS SUSTAINABLE AS POSSIBLE.
FOR MORE UPDATES ON OUR SUSTAINABILITY PROGRESS CLICK HERE.