ShopGolden Jewellery Store | Behind the Brand: Après Youth Interview

Après Youth's jewellery designs are full of colour, from neon enamel stacking rings and huggies to big, bright gemstone cocktail rings. Find out from Emily Brown, Founder of Après Youth, about what led her to making jewellery to her favourite pieces she picks up everyday.

Tell us the story behind your brand. How did you first start making jewellery, and what pushed you to turn it into a business? I started making jewellery as a kid, I made really intricate little beads from fimo which I made into necklaces. I kind of wish I had studied jewellery but I actually did a sculpture degree where I made cast metal miniatures so I guess not that far off. Then I met Jade Jagger on the beach in Goa when I was in my early twenties and I started working in her shop. This led onto me working on her fine jewellery brand. I started Après Youth after working for other designers for over a decade as I wanted to have control not just of the designs but of the culture of my workplace.

What inspires your designs most? I think they’re quite diverse and so is the inspiration which comes from all corners really both corners of places and of my mind.

Can you walk us through how your pieces are made, from idea to finished piece? I sketch the design and this is then made into a CAD file. I often also sculpt elements which are scanned and then scaled down and incorporated into the CAD file. For example the ears in the Good Listener series are sculputed in modelling clay and scanned into the computer software. I don’t think many people work in this way. Sometimes I mock up samples like for the new beaded pieces coming out this summer I made the samples and then sent them to the factory to copy.

From the CAD a wax is printed on a 3D printer and that is then used to make the master mould from which the pieces are cast. The pieces are hand polished, stones are hand set, and the enamel is hand-painted.

If you weren’t making jewellery, what do you think you’d be doing instead? I often say there are 17 people in my head so I really could say a lot of different for this. Nursery school teacher, farmer, sculptor, in prison are all things that spring to mind.

What jewellery do you wear every day? I am currently always wearing the Good Listener medium earrings and large ring in silver. I’ve been living in gold hoops for a long time and it’s really nice to have a new everyday staple which is a bit different and whimsical. I also wore the large version of the earrings for my wedding. Going out I like to wear the large firework chain necklace as it’s such a statement piece. I went to the Vanity Fair Oscars after party a couple of years ago and I wore two together just to be a bit extra.