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Behind… Hiho Silver’s Thelwell Collection

Thelwell CollectionI’ve had the privilege of working with Hiho Silver for a number of years and have the joy of writing about all the jewellery, including the Thelwell Collection. I adore the company, the ethos behind the pieces created, and the exclusive designs are out of this world. I see many other pieces of jewellery on my travels and, call me biased if you like, but the pieces are a cut above the rest. Before I started working for them I was a huge fan… and the more I’ve got under the skin of the brand, the designs and the pieces, the more I love them.

Hiho Silver’s Thelwell Collection

A little while ago Emma Warren, Hiho’s MD, told me about an exciting new collection. That’s something that makes a PR’s heart sing… then she told me what it was. It was Thelwell. But Thelwell the Hiho way. Hiho Silver has full permission from the Thelwell Estate to create and sell these pieces, and works very closely with the team there too. But what Hiho has done, what it always does, is create beautiful pieces that are practical but still have that authenticity… and I’ll tell you how.

Initially, the Thelwell Collection was made up of three pieces: two charms and a pendant on a necklace. The charms took me back to my childhood, when I would read and be able to relate to those amazing cartoons that see Penelope and her pony tackling all sorts of activities. I found myself smiling thinking back to those cartoons that mirrored equestrian life so closely… and that was from simply looking at a teeny sterling silver cup charm!

The two charms were designed with clips to make them easy to attach to pretty much anything. The cup was designed with the right proportions and the handles were totally ‘Thelwell’, and the rosette was the same. The pendant was designed differently as it showed a complete Penelope and pony celebrating a win.

The range has now grown to include three necklaces (featuring a boot, saddle, and horseshoe, all with those instantly recognisable details) and two pairs of earrings that match the charms. The Thelwell Collection is lovely and although great for children and younger riders, the pieces are ‘grown up’ enough for anyone to wear. They’re beautiful in their own right and give that nod to well spent childhoods on opinionated ponies!

Why did Hiho Silver decide to create a Thelwell Collection?

Hiho Silver in an iconic equestrian brand in its own right, and teaming up with brand that is such an integral part of the equestrian scene was an obvious choice. Hiho’s customers spans generations, meaning that Thelwell and its broad appeal fitted perfectly.

“The Thelwell Collection is such a fun one for us,” said Emma Warren, Managing Director of Hiho Silver. “We just love it and adore the feedback we get from our customers. We love that a piece of well designed jewellery can transport people back in time and relive amazing memories; that’s so special.”

To see the full Thelwell Collection, just trot on over to Hiho’s site.

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Equestrian and country gift guide – for her – part 1

equestrian and country gift guideThis year, I’ve decided to embrace the Christmas spirit full on, and share with you some of my top finds in a series of equestrian and country gift guides. First up, I’m addressing gifts for her… and I’m doing this in a series of videos (along with for him and for children…) so stay tuned.

How have I put the equestrian and country gift guide together?

Well, let’s be clear, I know there will be a LOT of gift guides online this year, but I wanted to tell you how I’ve put mine together. I specifically asked the brands who I am featuring to be involved and picked the products I wanted to feature too. In order to be involved, I needed the product, which I said I was happy to return. Some brands very (very) kindly said I could keep the product they sent, some I have bought for gifts and some I already owned, but the vast majority are being returned… and some you’ll see in the not too distant future… but I’ll tell you more about that soon. I don’t have any issues with people who do it differently at all, but I wanted to tell you how I’ve done it. In the equestrian and country guides you’ll see lots of products from brands I work with, and some from brands I have the pleasure of networking with via my groups on social media. I’m not saying this is a definitive guide, and I am looking forward to getting inspired by lots of other equestrian and country gift guides as Christmas approaches. These are products that I know extremely well and adore, or ones that have caught my eye online and I like how the company operates.

I love supporting small businesses, and I think showcasing products in this way (as well as buying them as gifts!) can help. I’d love it if you’d consider giving this video a thumbs up on Youtube (the video below is on Youtube) and even a channel subscribe – that would be brilliant. But it’s completely up to you. So, without further ado…

 

In this equestrian and country gift guide, you will find…

Annabel Brocks’ reversible faux fur head warmer and neck warmer in bubblegum pink tweed, and her wool Bugsy Hat in navy.

Hiho Silver’s Exclusive Foxtail Bracelet, Exclusive Cherry Roller Bangle (find out about the Cherry Roller Bangle’s iconic design), and a number of CZ Roller Beads (find out why I love the CZ Roller Bead).

Fairfax & Favor’s Henley Drivers in navy (find out about the wow factor your friend/relative will get from Fairfax & Favor’s packaging here).

Evemy & Evemy’s Alpaca Socks (read about Evemy & Evemy founder, Sophie Carroll here).

 

You’ll find links to all the products underneath the equestrian and country gift guide – for her – Youtube video.

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Behind iconic design – Hiho Silver’s Cherry Roller Collection

Cherry Roller Bangle

Photo by Sophie Callahan Photography

You may have noticed that I adore Hiho’s Cherry Roller Collection. Well, it’s more than bog standard adoration. I wear the bangle and necklace each day. It rarely leaves my body… and I’ll tell you why.

Why is Hiho Silver special?

Being horsey, I knew, loved and was a customer to Hiho long before I worked for them. I always loved the way the company combined genuine equestrian detail into sturdy pieces of jewellery that looked gorgeous but wouldn’t disintegrate if you wore them on the yard! I have a bit of a thing about wearing the things you love and not just keeping them for best, so this ties in perfectly with that philosophy. Now, I just want to revisit the ‘genuine equestrian detail’ line. I’m horsey BUT I don’t really want to be covered in horse heads or twee jewellery. I’m very proud of my horsiness, very proud, but I want to give a nod to it with my jewellery rather than plastered in horse heads. There’s nothing wrong with horse head jewellery (I feel I am really picking on horse heads today!) and I have seen some beautiful pieces available (can you guess where?!), but I like the more understated horsey look. That is the kind of style that people who are horsey ‘get’ and people who aren’t admire because they see it as a beautiful piece of jewellery in its own right.

What’s the Cherry Roller Collection?

So, back to the Cherry Roller. Inspired by the bit bearing the same name, Hiho’s most popular Cherry Roller pieces combine sterling silver with rose gold vermeil (vermeil being a thick plating) or solid rose gold beads, but sterling silver only and sterling silver with yellow gold vermeil are also available. The combination of rose gold and silver is truly stunning, but for the horsey amongst you, you’ll also be well aware that a cherry roller snaffle combines stainless steel with copper, which creates the same dual colour look. By substituting the metal, changing the proportions and reviewing, revising and perfecting each element, the Cherry Roller Collection burst into life… and the first piece was the bangle.

I adore the bangle for many reasons. First up, it shows the iconic cherry roller design beautifully, with the curved ‘mouthpiece’ of the bangle following the wrist’s shape, and the clever hinged closure makes it easy to put on and take off, but secure when in place because of the clip. My roller has a solid gold central bead with Hiho engraving which I find myself spinning and admiring way more than I should. I wear it stacked with my Hiho Foxtail bracelet (that’s a whole other blog!) and I honestly never take it off.

Why is the Cherry Roller iconic?

It’s iconic because it’s unique to Hiho, it was created by them and can only be purchased from them, and it’s really led the way in combining precious metals in this space. I love it… and I’ve never met anyone who doesn’t…

Have a look a the collection here – or go and see the team at the tradestand at any of the events they attend to see it in the flesh.

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How collaborations work between brands… with Hiho Silver

How collaborations work between brandsI’m very excited to be able to bring you a real life example of how collaborations work between brands. Or, at least, how they can work when they’re done well. And, to make it even more exciting, WE HAVE A CASE STUDY. Oh yes. How collaborations work between brands using a real life example. The real life example uses Hiho Silver, who recently completed a superb competition online that allowed people to win a lovely prize each day for 10 days, to celebrate reaching 10k fans on Facebook.

How collaborations work between brands… and why it matters

If you follow this blog you will know that I am a big fan of collaborations. Why? Because they work. They generate feel-good for everyone involved. Customers win. Businesses win. And it doesn’t have to cost all that much either. What’s not to love? Collaborations can add lots of value to your brand, your followers and the company you’re collaborating with too.. so why doesn’t everyone do it? It’s simple, it takes quite a bit of leg work and often an ability to put your brand’s needs on a level to brand you’re collaborating with. For everyone to win. Everyone needs to win. But that’s a whole different blog.

Now, onto the case study – Hiho Silver

As you may or may not know, I am very proud to count Hiho Silver as a client and the people behind this brand as friends. Hiho Silver is interesting for so many reasons, not least because of the amazing exclusive country and equestrian jewellery designs they create. But more about that another time (or just follow them on Facebook or Instagram, or have a look at their website to see for yourself!). Another thing that is superb about Hiho is the company’s ability to fully embrace new ideas and work with others. It’s refreshing, forward thinking and is one reason the brand is as successful as it is.

ANYWAY. To celebrate Hiho Silver reaching 10k fans on Facebook, it was decided that we’d create a competition to thank the fans for their continued support. The Hiho Facebook community is a special one and gratitude is a theme that runs through everything Hiho does, and it’s always nice to have a reason to celebrate. As it was Hiho’s 10k, it was decided that one prize would be offered each day for 10 days. And that fans could enter on Instagram and/or Facebook. The entry mechanisms were slightly different (and native to each platform), but both options were there to give people maximum opportunity to get involved. So far, so good.

So, where does the collaboration come in? And how do collaborations work between brands?

Hiho collaborates with a number of brands throughout the year on a range of different projects, so it made sense to speak to some of Hiho’s ‘friends’ to see if they wanted to be part of the celebrations. Why? Just to get free stuff? No. It was more than that. The brands that Hiho collaborates with have been chosen because they have a similar target audience – ie – they make/sell products and services that the majority or a significant portion of Hiho customers would be interested in. For this competition, Hiho decided to speak to Annabel Brocks (who provided a stunning Contrast Leather Belt), Evemy & Evemy (who provided a Pluma Silk Scarf), Mackenzie & George (who provided a Chatsworth Belt and personalised keyring), Femmes Fatales (who provided a day’s shooting) and Fairfax & Favor (who provided a Pembroke Handbag). In addition, Hiho provided an Exclusive Hammered Pheasant Necklace, an Exclusive Spinner Ring, an Exclusive Cherry Roller Bangle with CZ Roller and a Leather Wrap with horseshoe or cartridge slider. So there were 10 prizes in total. And so it began. One prize a day for 10 days… and didn’t Hiho’s fans love it! Oh yes. And then some.

Did the brands involved benefit from the collaboration?

And did the brands that were involved benefit too – oh yes. Exposing some of their products to Hiho’s fans and followers (and their fans and followers as people frequently shared posts on Facebook even though this wasn’t an entry mechanism… because it can’t be according to Facebook terms and conditions). Hiho put together two graphics each day during the competition and posted these on its various social channels. In many ways it was a simple competition, but the planning to make the simple competition work was quite involved. Worth every second, but it takes time. To make collaborations work between brands – between anyone – you have to dedicate some time to the cause. And then the results really mean something. And everyone wins. Which is what it’s all about!

 

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