Iona Hindmarch Bisset
Profession
BA Jewellery Design Alum
College
Central Saint Martins
Person Type
Alumni
Biography
Iona is a British Trinidadian jewellery designer currently running their own jewellery brand from their London based studio. Their work centres around ideas of queer fashion and self-expression whilst blending traditional silversmithing techniques with contemporary design. Iona graduated from BA Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins in 2021.
Interview
Why did you choose to study BA Jewellery Design at Central Saint Martins (CSM)?
I started my studies at CSM on the foundation course, specialising in 3D design. I chose CSM as I loved the dynamic feel of the campus when I visited on an Open Day. I discovered my love for jewellery on my foundation as I have a gravitation in my creative practice to design with the human experience in mind, and jewellery is the perfect way to develop this idea. Jewellery design at CSM is very exploratory and I loved this aspect; it led me to question what jewellery is and therefore can be. This encouragement for experimentation was the perfect propellor to harness my creativity whilst studying at CSM.
What have you been working on since graduating?
Since graduating, I have started my own Jewellery brand called iHB jewellery. I design and make all pieces in house and specialise in custom jewellery and grillz. My brand has grown over the years and reached some exciting milestones in the process. I’ve had my work featured in publications including Dazed, Wallpaper and Bricks magazine as well as exhibiting my pieces, most notably at Dover Street Market in London. It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get to this point and I’m looking forward to seeing how my business continues to grow.
What was the most interesting project you worked on during your time on the course?
There were so many incredible projects, but for me, the production project in second year was a real turning point. We had to create a small production of 20 pieces of the same design to be sold for around £20 each. I enjoyed imagining how to adjust my way of working when bringing jewellery into a commercial context. Things like, problem solving how to stay at the price point by using unconventional materials and elevating the pieces by creating packaging were ways that allowed me to imagine how my jewellery could exist post-graduation.
What important piece of advice would you give to students thinking of studying this course?
My advice would be to encourage your curiosity, ask lots of questions and try everything out. It's really the time to discover where you lie within your creative practice so it's important to give everything a go because you might find that you connect with a process that you didn’t expect to.
What was the highlight of your Central Saint Martins experience?
The access to a truly amazing workshop with technicians who were always eager to help is something I feel so lucky to have had during my studies. There is pretty much every piece of machinery you could possibly need, and for me as someone who loves the process of physically making something, it was such a joy and I learnt so much.
What is the most important thing you learnt on the course?
I learnt the importance of allowing your research to guide you. It is easy to get caught up in the excitement of an idea and jump to conclusions prematurely. The course taught me how to instinctually hone a concept and allow a more organic journey to the final piece. This significantly improved the quality of my work and it's something I still practice to this day.
Links
Discover Iona's website
Follow Iona on Instagram or TikTok
Contact Iona via email: contact@ionahindmarchbisset.com