Alayna Salter
We've all seen stars like Lady GaGa, Paris Hilton and Katy Perry wearing cute necklaces and bracelets that look like they've been made from Licorice Allsorts. We've such famous fans these pieces of jewellery are bound to be big news for a while so we tracked down the girl behind them, Alayna Salter to find out more.
Hi Alayna, have you been up to anything exciting recently?
Well you've caught me in the middle of a recording session so I'm just getting the end bits finished on my album. Just recording more music, that kind of thing.
How did you get into jewellery designing was it something you always wanted to do?
It's something that I've always done since I was small but it was more of a hobby, something that I didn't really think anything would come of it. I used to design outfits and make bracelets and different little items. I used to wear them on stage when I was gigging. It was something I just didn't really consider a business or worth talking about. I started to design the jewellery and the pieces that look like sweets and I had so many people stop me in the street and come up to me after shows and it kind of took me by surprise really because it was something that I'd done for myself and when people started showing interest and enquiring, that's how it really started to get off the ground.
It must be so great when people start to appreciate it when you just really did it for yourself?
Yeah and it's even nicer when you don't intend it. It just kind of took me by surprise and it was really flattering. I had people offer to buy them off my wrist! And people just giving me their addresses and saying 'can you make one for me and post it'! Things like that, so it almost started as a mini business before it was even in my head to be a business which was exciting!
Can you describe the style of your jewellery?
Some of them are based around sweets, they're predominant thing for the range is I wanted them all to be really colourful and quite girly, just quite different from anything else that was out there. Most of them are brightly coloured, they've got stars and skulls. Just a little bit edgy, a little bit different really. So that was the inspiration behind them.
Why do you think the range has been so successful?
I don't know! I suppose it's been so successful because there is nothing quite like it and I think the kind of people who are attracted to it are those who like to wear things that are slightly unique and something that you can't walk down the high street and buy so I think that's probably why it's been so successful.
How did you go from selling your jewellery at local gigs to having it stocked in Kitson?
I kind of made the decision that there was enough interest and I was taking enough orders privately to warrant turning it into a company. So I got a website made, took all the steps that you would so that people could go online and see it and buy it. The Kitson thing came about... I had a meeting with Kitson and they really liked it, the manager really loved the line and he took a chance on it and said, 'Look, I want to order some, I want to try it out and see if people like it.' That opened a lot of doors and all of a sudden it was like a serious business. So it was a good way to kick things off!
Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Cheryl Cole are fans of your work. How do you feel when you see celebrities wearing your jewellery?
It's really weird, I sort of have to pinch myself! I take it all in my stride but when I do interviews or people mention it it's like, yeah that is really cool because it's nice to see people who are seen as stylish or people whoI think look cool and nice, liking something that I've essentially designed and made, so it's a real compliment really.
Lady GaGa wearing one of Alayna's designs
Who is the most famous person you have seen wearing it?
Well obviously Cheryl Cole's pretty known and, like you said, Paris Hilton is an instantly recognisable day, so they're up there!
Is there anyone you would love to make jewellery for?
I don't know, I'd happily make jewellery for anyone who's funky or comes across a bit unique or dresses a little bit different. I think Britney Spears would be fun to make jewellery for. She's one of those super cool people that I think it would look brilliant on! [FF: Imagine all the paparazzi pictures too if Britney was wearing your jewellery!] Yeah exactly! It would be nice to see her in it and I think it would help the brand as well so you never know! Maybe one day she'll come to me and say, 'Make me some jewellery!'
Do you have to adapt your designs to fit in with trends each season or do you stay loyal to the original designs?
We've been going for just over a year now and I think what we tend to do is, rather than getting rid of the old lines and discontinuing, we find that we've got some popular favourites like the dolly mixture ones, they still sell really well so rather than take them off the website and do away with them, we tend to come up with different ideas based on them and take it one step on so it will be slightly different, using different beads and slightly different colours just to keep it fresh really.
The Sugababes' Heidi Range wearing a Punky Allsorts bracelet
Do you think you'll start designing clothes or any other accessories?
I do customise shoes and skirts and it's something that I do for myself for when I perform but it's something that could so easily be passed as Punky Allsorts, so I think there's definitely scope to do that, it's definitely not out of my mind to do that. It's just a question of time, when will I find the time to launch clothes and bags but it's not out of my mind to do it.
Now you're concentrating on singing will you continue with Punky Allsorts?
Luckily the brand's got to a position now where I have other people in there to run it for me and to do all the day to day stuff so I can take a kind of designers role really. Those are the fun bits! Designing all of the jewellery and getting out there and modelling and promoting the range. That's the bits that I really like and been a performer, those are the bits that come most naturally to me. Luckily I have people looking after the day to day stuff so I can concentrate on my music and also try and get the brand seen and get it out there. I'm lucky!
Are there any designers you look up to?
I'm not sure, I do like finding unique people, I'm not someone who always buys the same designer, I'm more likely to be impressed by something that no-one else has got or something that I find in a little boutique or a charity shop. I admire unique stuff or individuality so there's no one designer that I adore, or anything like that.
What style of music are you doing?
It's quite quirky, it's kind of goes quite nicely with Punky Allsorts to be honest. It's a little bit feisty, a little bit rocky, poppy. I'm just experimenting with different styles and seeing what suits but it's all kind of power pop, it's generally quite poppy stuff.
Who are your musical inspirations?
That's quite hard! On my I-pod I have everything from opera to Metallica, I'm quite a varied person! But those influences aren't necessarily what comes across. I like really strong lyrics, I think Metallica's lyrics can be so deep and dark and things like that, or someone a bit more contemporary is Pink. I love the way she writes, her writing style and her honesty, things like that. In terms of inspiration, I take the bits of like from all of my favourite artists rather than just modelling myself on one person. I try and keep it broad and come up with something different.
We've all seen stars like Lady GaGa, Paris Hilton and Katy Perry wearing cute necklaces and bracelets that look like they've been made from Licorice Allsorts. We've such famous fans these pieces of jewellery are bound to be big news for a while so we tracked down the girl behind them, Alayna Salter to find out more.
Hi Alayna, have you been up to anything exciting recently?
Well you've caught me in the middle of a recording session so I'm just getting the end bits finished on my album. Just recording more music, that kind of thing.
How did you get into jewellery designing was it something you always wanted to do?
It's something that I've always done since I was small but it was more of a hobby, something that I didn't really think anything would come of it. I used to design outfits and make bracelets and different little items. I used to wear them on stage when I was gigging. It was something I just didn't really consider a business or worth talking about. I started to design the jewellery and the pieces that look like sweets and I had so many people stop me in the street and come up to me after shows and it kind of took me by surprise really because it was something that I'd done for myself and when people started showing interest and enquiring, that's how it really started to get off the ground.
It must be so great when people start to appreciate it when you just really did it for yourself?
Yeah and it's even nicer when you don't intend it. It just kind of took me by surprise and it was really flattering. I had people offer to buy them off my wrist! And people just giving me their addresses and saying 'can you make one for me and post it'! Things like that, so it almost started as a mini business before it was even in my head to be a business which was exciting!
Can you describe the style of your jewellery?
Some of them are based around sweets, they're predominant thing for the range is I wanted them all to be really colourful and quite girly, just quite different from anything else that was out there. Most of them are brightly coloured, they've got stars and skulls. Just a little bit edgy, a little bit different really. So that was the inspiration behind them.
Why do you think the range has been so successful?
I don't know! I suppose it's been so successful because there is nothing quite like it and I think the kind of people who are attracted to it are those who like to wear things that are slightly unique and something that you can't walk down the high street and buy so I think that's probably why it's been so successful.
How did you go from selling your jewellery at local gigs to having it stocked in Kitson?
I kind of made the decision that there was enough interest and I was taking enough orders privately to warrant turning it into a company. So I got a website made, took all the steps that you would so that people could go online and see it and buy it. The Kitson thing came about... I had a meeting with Kitson and they really liked it, the manager really loved the line and he took a chance on it and said, 'Look, I want to order some, I want to try it out and see if people like it.' That opened a lot of doors and all of a sudden it was like a serious business. So it was a good way to kick things off!
Celebrities like Paris Hilton and Cheryl Cole are fans of your work. How do you feel when you see celebrities wearing your jewellery?
It's really weird, I sort of have to pinch myself! I take it all in my stride but when I do interviews or people mention it it's like, yeah that is really cool because it's nice to see people who are seen as stylish or people whoI think look cool and nice, liking something that I've essentially designed and made, so it's a real compliment really.
Lady GaGa wearing one of Alayna's designs
Who is the most famous person you have seen wearing it?
Well obviously Cheryl Cole's pretty known and, like you said, Paris Hilton is an instantly recognisable day, so they're up there!