Astley Clarke names Dominic Jones as creative director

Dominic Jones, jewellery designer known for his punk-inspired aesthetic, has been named the new creative director of British jewellery brand Astley Clarke.

Jones, who is a five-time winner of the British Fashion Council’s NewGen award, will unveil his first collection with the brand in February 2017 for pre-autumn/winter 2017. However, he has already brought his collaborative approach and eye for new talent to Astley Clarke, tapping artist Phoebe Collings James to front the autumn/winter 16 campaign.

"I instantly fell in love with Dominic's passion and commitment to increasing the relevancy of the fine-jewellery category to modern women," said the founder, Bec Astley Clarke. "He has the creativity and originality to help establish Astley Clarke as the go-to fine jeweller for accessible and relevant pieces for women to wear every day.”

Clarke added: "When beginning his career, he was the only jeweller to be invited to show on schedule at London Fashion Week, and constantly sought to close the distance between fashion and fine jewellery.”

Astley Clarke looking to make fine jewellery “relevant” to customers with new creative director

The jewellery brand states that Jones’ has an “interest in moving jewellery forward to speak to a new generation of stylish women”, and marks a significant shift for the fine jewellery brand, who is looking to “make fine jewellery relevant to a new set of consumers who may have previously felt excluded from the category”.

Jones founded his eponymous jewellery label in 2009 and soon gathered celebrity fans including Rihanna, David Bowie, Florence Welch and Cara Delevingne who loved his chunky claw rings and fang necklaces. He studied traditional silver-smithing and fine jewellery at the Sir John Cass School of Art and Design.

The announcement follows new investment in Astley Clarke by the Venezuelan fashion entrepreneur Carmen Busquet, who was an early investor in Net-a-Porter and Venrex, the investors behind Charlotte Tilbury.

Image: Dominic Jones/Astley Clarke