He transformed the industry with his fashionable, statement jewellery, now Stephen Webster says the online world is welcoming in an even newer era. Here, he explains how the digital world is making its impact, and why he became a social media convert.
It is an integral part of the marketing mix of most luxury brands today. But luxury jewellery designer Stephen Webster began using digital media for a very different reason initially.
Driving from New York to LA in his 1959 Thunderbird car a few years ago, when he returned from his holiday, the Independent newspaper asked to publish extracts from the diary he’d kept along the way. On his next adventure, Rolling Stone did the same. “And I thought, well, that’s pretty cool!”
Rather than have his thoughts published by others every now and then, however, Webster soon became drawn to the idea of maintaining his own blog. But it wasn’t the soulless company promo people might expect. Written for him by him - it was full of people, pictures and thoughts that either interested or inspired him.
He had never taken an interest in social media previously. And is still particular about the type he does engage with today. Take Facebook. While his company maintains an account for the people seeking out information about his collections, he himself has never been a convert. “Facebook is not something I have much interest in, and I don’t want to read anybody else’s either!”
But what he perceived as small meanderings into the online has gone on to become big business. It really began when he signed up to Twitter. With blogs taking so long to write, he found he could achieve something similar with Twitter, except in a tenth of the time. “I like the shortness of it, getting what I want to say out in 140 characters.”
“In the beginning, I was surprised people knew where I’d been or where I was going next. Now, I’m more surprised by the amount of people that know. With social media, there’s a connection”
But what he didn’t expect was the avid following his @noregretsat50 account would inspire. “In the beginning, I was surprised that people knew where I’d been or where I was going next. And then I realised ‘Oh! You read Twitter’. Now, I’m more surprised by the amount of people that know where I am and what I’m up to.”
In truth, he was made for the medium. Anything but the silver-spooned jewellery designer you might expect, he is as honest and no-nonsense online as he is in real life. Posting everything from his thoughts on a glamorous jewellery bash to pre-match banter about a Manchester United game, you get a true insight into the randomly rock n’ roll / real-world lifestyle he leads.
But what of its impact on his business? In truth, it never even crossed his mind that there would be an impact. Now, he acknowledges his tweets and blogs build up a different sort of relationship with clients and potential clients. “There’s a connection there now that wouldn’t have been before,” he admits.
But the digital and online world isn’t only impacting Webster. Much like fashion, it is making its mark on the jewellery industry, and he is first to point out the new industry shift it’s created – a different one from the shift he was responsible for in the early 2000s.
Back then, Webster was the poster boy for breaking down the perception of jewellery as a purely ‘emotional’ purchase - wedding rings, engagement rings and presents – to fashionable ones. Hailing from Gravesend, at age 16, he attended a jewellery and silversmith course before completing his training and honing his craft in a variety of top London design houses – including DeBeers.
Travelling to Canada and then California in the 80s, it was there that he developed his bold style which he took home to the UK in 1988. “But it was impossible to sell my sort of jewellery in the UK. Jewellery was all tied up with emotional purchases and fashion was all I did!”
He survived by focusing on the American market, building up a celebrity clientele of everyone from Madonna to Pink, Christina Aguilera to Cameron Diaz, until it finally began provoking intrigue and acceptance in the UK. Along with Shaun Leane and Theo Fennell, Webster’s work heralded a new era of jewellery buying – one that inspired fashion brands to follow suit with their own collections.
But the digital world has now taken this further. While there’s still huge demand for fine jewellery, the online market has driven and facilitated the desire for a more casual sort. “It’s accessory-like,” explains Webster, “something you can put on in the morning and still wear right through to evening.”
The online space has also provided a platform for many emerging jewellery designers – including Marco Bicego and Monica Venader – and top jewellery portal businesses like Ippolita and Astley Clarke.
“The jewellery bought online is more accessory-like, something you can put on in the morning and still wear right through to evening. It fits perfectly with the rise of online fashion”
Webster himself has enjoyed adapting his offering to meet this market, selling his silver, fashion and classic ranges online at ASOS and Astley Clarke. “It fits perfectly with the rise of online fashion, where people are looking for something fast or specific, with colours that tie into fashion collections and seasons.”
But online sales will only ever form a portion of his business. Renowned for pushing creative boundaries and designing to big themes – the most recent of which is Murder She Wrote – his clientele still want fine jewellery that makes a fashionable statement, and the online world isn’t quite geared to that yet.
Acknowledging there’s now a ‘virtual try on’ service for jewellery on the web, it’s of no interest to Webster’s high profile clients. They prefer his personal approach and ‘big bang’ launch parties where his pieces can be tried and tested. “Our jewellery is quite specific,” he says simply, “you need to feel it, see it on you and that makes it difficult to buy online. The last thing that anyone wants is something expensive that’s ordinary. At this end of the market, they want to see extraordinary.”
It’s a trend he doesn’t see changing in the immediate future. And judging by his success worldwide right now, he’s got it right. But if things do change, he’ll be the first to shift and adapt accordingly, and then point it out to everyone else. Probably via Twitter.
For more information, visit the Stephen Webster website.
By Barbara Walshe
