An evening with Anabela Chan
The innovative jewellery designer joined journalist Rachael Taylor in London’s Covent Garden for WOLF Leaders in Conversation.
A crowd of design lovers gathered at the WOLF Covent Garden store in London to hear from jewellery designer Anabela Chan, as part of the WOLF Leaders in Conversation series of talks.
During the evening, Anabela spoke with journalist Rachael Taylor about her journey from artistic school girl to architect, fashion designer, and – now – jeweller.
The Anabela Chan brand is celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, and in that time it has become a pioneer in sustainable luxury. Anabela shared her vision with the audience, speaking to how she chose a decade ago – long before the rise of lab-grown diamond jewellery – to only work with laboratory-grown gemstones of all hues.
Guests mingle at the event, which was hosted at WOLF's pop-up store in Covent Garden, London.
As she spoke, she gestured to a pair of earrings she was wearing, which were set with lab-grown opals. Anabela explained how these gems were not only as beautiful as the mined versions in her opinion, but that scientists had found a way to stabalise the opals, meaning they would never degrade over time as mined opals sometimes do.
When asked if she considered herself to be a designer or a scientist, Anabela laughed and said “both”; noting that as she was so far ahead of the lab-grown gem curve, a lot of her focus had been on working with labs on research and development. She is also a pioneer in metal development, finding new ways to work with recycled aluminium from drinks cans as an alternative to traditional precious metals.
Anabela’s work has found favour with famous clients, including Rihanna, Beyonce and Lady Gaga, for whom she has created pieces for red-carpet events. The designer spoke to how this recognition from stars and celebrity stylists early on in her career helped to boost her brand.
The evening attracted a mixture of design fans, jewellery lovers, and those interested in sustainable luxury.
Are her customers more interested in her sustainability credentials (which extend beyond the materials to the entirety of how she operates her Anabela Chan business) or the designs? “The designs,” she said. For her, this is what must always come first; and for her clients, the sustainability is an added bonus that more deeply connects them with the jewels after they have fallen in love with the creations themselves.
In pictures: Anabela Chan's Journey to Sustainable Luxury, with WOLF Leaders in Conversation
Anabela Chan was in conversation with Rachael Taylor at a WOLF Leaders in Conversation event on September 24, 2024. A recording of the talk will be released later this month by WOLF.
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Top image: Jewellery designer Anabela Chan in conversation with journalist Rachael Taylor at the WOLF store in Covent Garden, London.
