Jewellery creator gets to grips with business

"I tried putting it together, and it ended up being a big seller at Selfridges."

The Nigerian-born creator has lived in London for over 20 years, and in West Silvertown for just over three. She started Eklectics Jewellery in 1999, and went on to exhibit in prestigious fashion shows in Paris and London.

In 2006, she took a sabbatical to learn more about the craft of business itself, and is relaunching the company this year.

She said: "I describe my pieces as high fashion contemporary jewellery, enduring fashion jewellery using real stones.

"I really like shape. If you look at a square or a rectangle, it's so organised, clean and crisp. Some of the gems I use are broken down into lots of different shapes and sizes, and I like to bring order to that and make it pleasing to the eye."

Helen was first inspired to start designing when a friend brought her several bracelets from Africa. From that point, she "got hooked on QVC and started reading all sorts of books", before showing off her pieces at local markets.

She said: "People kept saying how lovely they were. I applied for a trade show and met this lady who took some pieces back to Switzerland. They sold very well over there, and things just took off."

Helen previously worked in admin "for an American company based on Tiller Road", but by 2002 she was in Dubai representing British fashion at the Xperience UK show, as well as exhibiting in the US and Africa.

Her pieces were featured in magazines such as Marie Claire, and Metro hailed her as one of the year's best three young jewellers. Clients included former Miss World Agbani Derego.

She said: "You can build your wardrobe around your jewellery. For a designer, it's all about manipulating the techniques to create something new, something more challenging."

In 2006, Helen decided to step back from her business. Her mother was diagnosed with cancer, which affected Helen's focus on the business, and she decided to learn more about the fundamentals of making a company work.

She said: "Making that decision hurts, especially when you've built a business up and achieved what I had from nothing. Also, I'd just received investment to take the business to a higher level.

"Looking back, though, it turned out to be the best thing that could have happened. My work had spiralled from a passion to a business and I'd never had the time to learn about the business side of things."

Helen has since worked on creative projects with The Arts Council, The Youth Justice Board and the London Borough of Newham, teaching jewellery design and encouraging enterprise.

She hopes that the re-launched company will become a "global brand and a vehicle to touch people's lives", through commissions and sales given to charitable causes. But she is also committed to passing on her skills to the wider community.

She said: "I believe in life we have to impart whatever gifts we have to other people, whether it's creative or otherwise. There's a real joy in giving.

"With a lot of creative people and designers, they have a hopeful spirit. They're focused on the passion and can't wait to get their work out there. They sometimes don't think about the other side.

"I've been there and done that, and you can run into trouble if you neglect the business side of things. I preach that to everyone old and young now, stressing the importance of getting your cashflow right and keeping track of your business."

For more information on Eklectics Jewellery, email info@eklectics.co.uk or call 07940 044119.