Talking all things Pinterest, Influencers and Jewellery with Tatty Devine co-founder Rosie Wolfenden
By Layla Turner
As a self-proclaimed social media obsessed individual, I find no shame in admitting that scouring social media apps for the latest trends brings me unprecedented amounts of joy. Those similar to me will be familiar with the ‘plastic fantastic’ jewellery trend (made famous by Dua Lipa and Bella Hadid), that has gained huge amounts of attention on both Pinterest and Instagram – think chunky rings, statement earrings and bold necklaces. Of course, OG creators of this trend are the founders behind ‘kitsch’ jewellery brand, Tatty Devine.
Throughout lockdown, many of us turned to online shopping to bring some sort of joy to our lives – myself included. Fortunately, Tatty Devine can vouch for this statement. “We were really, really lucky in the sense that we actually saw a rise in sales throughout this weird time”, says founder Rosie Wolfenden. “I suppose this could be down to the current kitsch jewellery trend – we have definitely seen a heightened demand for our products.”
Of course, the faces behind said trends are often influencers and bloggers – marketing pioneers of gen-z. “We do use influencers here at Tatty Devine, but I feel we have a different approach to most companies who use influencer marketing. They have to be a good fit for the brand, and it’s good if they have a real passion for Tatty Devine, as it makes the whole experience much more authentic.” A simple glimpse at the brands Instagram will prove that they value authenticity above anything else – a refreshing find in a time of influencer hauls and excessive consumption.
Many people would associate the ‘kitsch’ jewellery trend with the ever-popular Pinterest aesthetic. “Pinterest is definitely an important tool to us here at Tatty Devine. We use it to gather inspiration, images, looks for mood boards – we also recently made our Pinterest shoppable which allows us to gather user insights, which is tremendously helpful. Our clientele are usually women in their thirties and forties, with a passion for the arts.”
The brand was born in 1999, and stemmed from a desire to be unconventional. “Both myself and my partner Harriet Vine wanted to be artists – of course creating and designing gorgeous pieces of jewelry is an art-form in itself. We wanted to create pieces that would allow us, and others, to express ourselves. We wanted our products to be different from anything else on the market – our inspirations were very much 70’s style, charity shops, art, culture and music.”
The brand have recently launched an exclusive collaboration with the V&A for their highly anticipated Alice: Curiouser and Curiouser exhibition. “Me and Rosie have always had a good relationship with the V&A, as we actually both used to work there in the restaurant years ago. It used to be our favorite museum to visit, we would always go there to find inspiration. We were thrilled when they approached us in regards to the Alice collaboration as I’m a huge Alice fan. She’s fierce and surreal – two values that align perfectly with Tatty Devine.” Fans should keep an eye out for upcoming collaborations involving the brand, including a David Bowie collection, and a special Pride collection crafted in partnership with Not A Phase, a charity devoted to supporting the lives of trans plus individuals.
Plans for the future, I am told, include a focus on sustainability. “We are already a very sustainable company – that’s something i’m really proud of. All of our products are locally made, we are ethical employers who pay the national living wage, and we are currently working hard to ensure that all of our packaging is fully recyclable.”
My final question for Rosie was one that I had been dying to ask about since meeting with Rosie – what was the inspiration behind the name Tatty Devine?“We get asked this a lot, and it’s actually a really funny story. When we first launched the brand, we struggled to find a name – of course, this was a time before the internet and before social media, so Inspiration was difficult to come by. One day, we were setting up a stall at a London based market, and we were experimenting with names. A customer asked us what we were called, and we replied with Tatty Devine – a name that we came up with on the spot. The customer said that she had heard of us before, and with that, the name was stuck.” Lovers of the brand will agree that the name is a perfect fit.
tattydevine.com, 44 Monmouth Street, WC2H 9EP
