The window display of the jewellery boutique ætla in Edinburgh.
With light wood, easy, muted colours and minimalist furnishings, you enter to meana contemporary jewellery store in Edinburgh’s trendy Stockbridge area, is sort of a Scandinavian design store. The tactile materials and subtle scent convey the identical sensuality, the wood-burning stove within the back room gives the identical feeling of coziness, and the massive windows allow the northern sunlight to stream in. Founder and Creative Director Keira Wraae Stewart was born within the Faroe Islands, just an hour and a half flight from the Scottish capital, and the experience in her store is the embodiment of a dual cultural heritage.
A Burn Anne agate ring by Sian Evans, exhibited at ætla in Edinburgh.
“For ætla, it is central to combine my Faroese heritage with contemporary design,” she explains. “The Faroese culture, with its emphasis on handcraft, natural materials and traditional techniques, deeply influences our aesthetic, which is reflected in both our jewelry collections and the store atmosphere, creating a distinctive blend of tradition and modernity.” The store makes a speciality of minimalist, timeless contemporary jewelry from designers corresponding to Sia Taylor, Ten Thousand Things, Pernille Holm and Grainne Morton, and has played a crucial role in the town’s vibrant creative scene because it opened.
ætla shares a sublime Georgian street with a perfumer, an independent bookshop, a vintage clothes shop and a bunch of independent restaurants and bars specialising in local produce. Elsewhere, the town boasts a substantial variety of Michelin-starred chefs, luxury retailers and concept stores, including the sensible bard in Leith. “I’m proud to say we’ve become a vibrant part of the Edinburgh scene,” she smiles. “Over the last few years we’ve collaborated with Gleneagles Townhouse, Lyon and Turnbull and Soho House for fun events like diamond masterclasses; we’ve held in-store tastings with artisans like Woven Whisky, held hands-on wax carving classes and hosted talks by local jewellery experts.”
Keira Wraae Stewart in an insider interview together with her jewellery store ætla in Edinburgh.
The store is fast becoming a hub for the Scottish city, which is renowned in Europe for its cultural and design heritage that also shines brightly today. Every August it hosts the Edinburgh Festival and Festival Fringe, the world’s largest performing arts and culture event. This yr ætla is hosting A tribute to Scottish jewelleryan exhibition of local design talent and people working with the wide and varied range of Scottish materials, which opened last night to the clinking of glasses by the town’s stars and starlets. One of the highlights of the exhibition is a diamond-encrusted sgian dubh, the dagger traditionally worn within the sock of Scottish national dress, designed by Ellis Mhairi Cameron in collaboration with bladesmith Simon Maillet.
Although she has worked in jewellery for over 15 years, Wraae Stewart is comparatively latest to retail. After studying 3D design, she began her profession in London at Maria Francesca Pepe before working for Vivienne Westwood for seven years, working on each industrial collections and runway pieces from start to complete. The job took her to the home’s production centre in Thailand.
The Stargazer ring by Balint Samad, exhibited at ætla in Edinburgh.
The catalyst for ætla was Covid. “After moving from Thailand to the Faroe Islands, where I was born and where much of my family still lives, I eventually moved to Edinburgh during the pandemic, a time that gave me the freedom to pursue my long-held dream of running my own business.” The lockdowns were a likelihood to construct “close contacts” with talented jewelers and potential customers, laying the groundwork for the shop opening.
With her extensive technical and design knowledge and a rigorously trained eye for detail – right all the way down to her shop’s exquisite, locally produced branded fragrance – she is perfectly placed to discover and nurture a generation of designers and makers who create authentic, advantageous jewelry. With a concentrate on sustainability and craftsmanship, she looks for “work that inspires me, feels timeless and has lasting value. I love pieces where the craftsmanship is clearly visible and you can see the effort and skill,” she explains.
A diamond-studded Sgian Dubh, the Scottish dagger traditionally worn within the sock of the national dress, … [+]
Her aesthetic is well-defined, clean, vivid and uses colours that work so well within the North Atlantic light. She cites Jessica McCormack, Cece Jewellery and L’Echanteur as brands she particularly enjoys for his or her modern timelessness, enchanting craftsmanship and culturally wealthy aesthetic. “This diversity – from polished heirlooms to narrative artistry – captures the range of what inspires me in jewelry design.”
“The human touch creates a deeper connection with the piece. I am drawn to pieces that embody the beauty of imperfection – whether they are sculptural and raw or elegantly refined. The work must tell a story that resonates. Designers such as Ellis Mhairi Cameron, Alice Waese and The Ouze embody these qualities with their distinctive and captivating pieces.” Well-known names share the space with lesser-known artists corresponding to Faroese designer Turið Nolsøe Mohr, who conveys the drama of her homeland’s natural landscape by setting basalt stone in silver and gold.
An antique Scottish agate bracelet at ætla in Edinburgh.
A brand new addition to the shop is a small number of vintage jewelry, curated with the identical care and a spotlight because the contemporary collection. The company also has its own seal of approval for bespoke pieces and a future signature collection. ætla means “intention” in Faroese and Wraae Stewart is a creative and smart businesswoman who’s constructing a retail brand with intending to rejoice those independent jewelry designers who work with a purpose.
Visit ætla at 46 St Stephen St, Stockbridge, Edinburgh, EH3 5AL, UK.
A tribute to Scottish jewellery runs until August 26, 2024.
