LARKSPUR LADY: Rachel Garrahan
Meet Rachel Garrahan, who is the Jewelry and Watch Director at British Vogue, where, under the editorship of Edward Enninful, she has expanded the magazine's coverage of the subject, introducing Vogue readers to emerging talent and celebrating the best in design and craftsmanship around the world. She is the 2020 winner of the GEM Award for Media Excellence awarded by Jewelers of America. Her features and interviews have appeared in a number of publications on both sides of the Atlantic including the International New York Times, 1843 (The Economist), Financial Times, The Times of London, Vanity Fair, Tatler, Conde Nast Traveller, Robb Report, Wallpaper*, Town &Country and T Magazine. Read on for more about what's inspiring her now and how she found herself covering fine jewelry for some of the best publications in the world from her experiences living everywhere from Los Angeles, New York and now London...
Name/Company/Title:
Rachel Garrahan, Jewelry and Watch Director, British Vogue
What drew me to the Larkspur & Hawk jewelry I am wearing (in the portrait photo)...
I love to layer the necklaces and mix up the shades of blue to light up the face, particularly in a pale North European complexion like mine!
They are perfect for…
Dressing up or dressing down.
My jewelry traditions (or daily rituals)...
I always wear my wedding band and engagement ring in a stack with rings marking the birth of my three children. And earrings, pretty much always earrings.
My love for jewelry began when...
I was very young. There are hilarious photos of me decked out in giant plastic jewels that at the time I thought were just heaven.
My favorite jewelry memory...
Is seeing the incredible Cheapside Hoard exhibition in 2013 at the Museum of London. It featured a rare collection of Elizabethan jewels, which was first discovered by construction workers in the City of London in 1912. Imagine discovering buried treasure like that.
My favorite jewelry period (or artist/piece of jewelry) is...because...
I think it has to be Art Deco for its audacious modernity and bold lines.
To me, Larkspur & Hawk means...
A kaleidoscope of color and preciousness.
How I first discovered Larkspur & Hawk...
It was on a visit to Fred Leighton when I was living in New York. I was intrigued by these beautiful contemporary jewels laid out next to the antique gems that inspired them.
My style in three words....
Clean, color, jewelry!
What's inspiring me right now.... (artist, exhibit, hobby, or historical period, et al)
I've just seen the Picasso on Paper exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts in London. It's amazing that even after a lifetime of seeing Picasso exhibitions, I still saw pieces that I'd never seen before. His creativity knew no bounds.
My favorite color combination is...
Blue and white in clothes, interiors and jewelry of course.
To me, a necessary indulgence...
Asian food and a perfect glass of sancerre.
Something old I love...
My grandmother's Star of David pendant. She was an Irish Catholic so it remains a mystery why it was the one piece that she always wore. I'm proud to say it's now mine and I'm planning to make it part of a charm necklace.
Something new I love...
Girl by Edna O'Brien, this year's Booker winner.
A golden rule I live by...
Do what you love.
How I became a jewelry and watch editor/director...
When I was living in LA, I was studying goldsmithing at UCLA and freelance writing. Somehow the two came together and I found the perfect combination for me.
The most surprising thing about my job...
That I get to do this for a living.
Los Angeles, New York or London?
Every single one please. LA for the weather (and sushi), New York for the buzz, and London for the history and my family.
What’s next for me...
I learn something new in my job every single day and look forward to celebrating the best of the industry in Vogue.
