WHO THEY ARE: Having spent years carrying a small bag of daily necessities within a larger handbag so she could easily swap her essentials from bag to bag, former wedding dress designer Susan Stille, 58, came up with the idea of designing bags with a ready-made on-the-go kit inside. When Eliza was a child they used to make charm-covered barrettes, embellish their ski helmets and sew patches on denim jackets. The on-the-go kits include a sewing set, pen, lip balm, nail file, cotton buds and antibacterial spray and start from £70. WHO THEY ARE: Trained silversmith Brinker Higgins launched a jewellery brand with her daughter Eliza, 34, a fashion merchandiser, in 2017. They are now both working on the range full-time. WHAT THEY DO: Bags in punchy colours and structured shapes -the Hampton Tote, £225, and the Candy Chain Bracelet, £45, are a good place to start. After launching the brand in 2018, she recruited her daughter Holly, 30, who had been working at a fashion start-up, to help with the marketing and social media.

Try a standout sequin pencil skirt (£204) teamed with a simple white blouse.

They firmly believe that when it comes to jewellery, more is more. WHO THEY ARE: Designer Charlotte de Geyter, 29, studied fine art, then interned at London Fashion Week regular Simone Rocha’s design studio. WHAT THEY DO: Attainable luxury from their ready-to-wear line, as well as some standout couture pieces – think giant satin bows atop layers of tulle, bomber jackets adorned with roses, bright colours and fun prints on tailored shapes. WHAT THEY DO: Boho-cool jewellery with bright stones, freshwater pearls and chunky twisted chains, starting from around £90. WHO THEY ARE: Najla Burt dreamed up her brand while at design school in New York. In 2018, they launched with a few designs and 25 hand-drawn prints. It is all made in their hometown Connecticut studio and stocked on fashion websites Browns, Farfetch and Moda Operandi. Then she asked her mother, Cynthia, to come on board. Although Cynthia has no formal background in fashion, she made clothes for Najla and her two sisters growing up. But when it was time to branch out on her own, Charlotte called up her mother, Bernadette, a former buyer at Ralph Lauren, and suggested that they start a fashion business. Try a standout sequin pencil skirt (£204) teamed with a simple white blouse. The only place you can shop is via their website but they do ship to the UK.

Now, they do a mix of dresses, separates and even a homeware line sold at Net-A-Porter, Harrods and Harvey Nichols. WHO THEY ARE: Victoria Darby, 62, used to own baby shoe brand Daisy Roots, loved by Victoria Beckham and other celebrity mums. WHAT THEY DO: A pared-back range of affordable hoop earrings that you can mix and match with 100 different charms: pearl drops, crystal stars, gold moons, and more. Once Lettie started at university, her friends started asking Sally to make pieces for them too. They are about to launch charm necklaces, too. WHO THEY ARE: London-based sisters Constance and Matilda Murphy and their mother Minnie Hartley got talking round the kitchen table about how hard it was to find modern, elegant occasionwear. WHAT THEY DO: One-of-a-kind jackets in clashing prints made from locally sourced, remnant fabrics. WHAT THEY DO: A Japanese floral design is their signature print and appears on everything from elegant occasionwear to ladylike knits and satin pyjamas. Though you could be paying up to £325, all the pieces are made from 100 per cent silk. Soon, they were draping lengths of silk over each other and coming up with four tops that became the brand’s first samples in 2017. Minnie’s background as an artist and Constance’s experience in fashion PR probably didn’t hurt. The crochet cardigans are a big hit too. All three love jewellery and Camilla and Emily left their jobs, in digital marketing and finance respectively, in March 2020 to work on Nue Hoops full-time. Their latest venture is a bridal range. WHAT THEY DO: Their elegantly draped silk tops, from £135, in smart neutral tones are Harmur’s bestsellers. Purchase individual charms from £10 or hoop and charm sets, such as these midi gold hoops with erinite stone charms for £90. Their chic satin slip dresses start at £361, so opt for something you would like to hand down to your daughter one day. They caught the attention of model Suki Waterhouse, who championed the brand. Everything is handmade. They have sold 12,000 faux-fur bomber jackets for £200 each. But they have also branched into halterneck dresses and sleek, long-sleeved midis, as well as some well-draped jumpsuits. In 2014, the pair started selling chunky cardigans on Instagram. Think faux-fur panels and patchwork sleeves. WHO THEY ARE: Fashion lecturer Sally Pattinson had always made her daughter Lettie’s clothes. A celebrity favourite – actresses Sienna Miller, Florence Pugh and Jaime Winstone are all fans.

If you’re as magpie-like about jewellery as I am, you’ll always be on the lookout for new brands and original pieces to add to your collection. The brand’s founders, sisters Christie and Rosanna Wollenberg, believe you shouldn’t just save beautiful jewellery for best, so the sculptural rings and earrings are as practical as they are elegant. Otiumberg positions itself as a demi-fine jewellery brand. All Grove & Vae jewellery is designed in London, and created using 14k gold vermeil and rhodium-plated sterling silver. This British brand was launched in the autumn of 2024 by Tofi Caroline Adedoyin, a former investment banking director. If you love keeping things unique and prefer to shop independent, these jewellery brands are worth checking out and keeping in mind for your next purchase. Tilly Sveaas founded her eponymous brand in 2016. Born in Hong Kong to British-Norwegian parents, London-based Tilly has been a jewellery designer for over 25 years, creating her first pieces during an extended trip to Bali, where she still produces to this day. But along with the prominent brands we all know and love, there are a load of under-the-radar gems (no pun intended) out there just waiting to be discovered. Her signature T-bar necklaces have been worn by the likes of Taylor Swift. There are so many amazing affordable and mid-range jewellery brands out there today, with a plethora of choice no matter what your style. Their goal is to make pieces that ‘will be your go-to for years to come’.

The brand focuses on creating timeless, versatile pieces tailored to the modern woman’s everyday wardrobe. Catherine ‘Catch’ Rhys Jones started her label out of a frustration with the jewellery she was buying. Crystals & Co. founders (and best friends) Emily Mackeogh and Leah O’Reilly aim to accessorise peoples lives with fun, high quality affordable jewellery. With Love Darling believes in changing the world one piece of jewellery at a time. After working in the jewellery industry for 10 years, Amelia Bainbridge saw a gap in the market for jewellery that was both beautiful and affordable – and Auree was born in 2014. All Auree pieces are made with the highest quality solid gold, sterling silver or gold vermeil and natural gemstones. The brand uses solid metals – not plated or vermeil, and promises no green fingers or brass rash. It specialises in bright, colourful jewellery. Items are produced in developing countries, giving the artisans income to lift themselves and their families out of poverty. Made by small workshops all over the world, each piece holds a story. The pieces are gorgeous too – from delicate pendants to eye-catching hoops, available in either 18ct gold vermeil or sterling silver. I was tired of sacrificing style for quality, or my bank account for both’ says Neima Row founder Naomi Genes. Prior to starting Bijoux De Mimi, Amelia attended Central Saint Martins. Founded by Amelia Hitchcock-Merritt in the middle of lockdown at just eighteen, Bijoux De Mimi became one of the fastest growing jewellery brands in the UK. Think timeless glamour meets modern minimalism, without the unattainable price tag. So she decided to make her own. It always came with lengthy care instructions and still tarnished after only a few wears or turned my skin green’ she says.