Francesca Grima is part of an incredible jewellery dynasty. Her father Andrew’s pioneering work in the 1960s established him as the godfather of British jewellery design, winning multiple awards, worldwide acclaim, and clients like Princess Margaret, Barbara Hepworth and Jackie Onassis.
Since Andrew passed in 2007, Francesca and her mother have been at the helm of Grima jewellery, ensuring its pieces are as sought-after today as ever – appearing on Vogue cover models, Marc Jacobs, even the late Queen. With her team they produce up to 30 unique pieces a year, each one handcrafted by expert goldsmiths in London. We stopped by her studio to brooch a few subjects (sorry)…
Quote to live by
‘Design to please yourself.’ It’s one I made up myself but I think it is a good starting point for any creative endeavour, meaning that if you try to please others rather than yourself, you end up pleasing no-one.
Accent or language that turns you on
Northern. 99 per cent of the charm is the challenge to understand it!
Book that shaped you
Little Women was the first novel I read for pleasure. I like the fact that the four sisters have completely different personalities but share the same values: a strong work ethic, a belief in self-improvement, acts of kindness to those less fortunate (even though they themselves are poor) and mutual support.
Favourite artist
Yayoi Kusama. Her art makes me happy.
Favourite museum/gallery
My favourite since childhood is Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence. It’s a stone’s throw from where we had a holiday home in the South of France and I have fond memories of walking the grounds with my parents.
Favourite bar
I’m more of a pub girl but if I had to choose I’d go old school and pick the American Bar at the Savoy Hotel.
Comfort food
A spicy curry.
Favourite cocktail
I normally drink beer but will occasionally get a picante as a heart-starter.
Best vintage/antique find
Discovering Patrick Seguin’s shop in the Bastille neighbourhood of Paris. Everything they sell is utterly beautiful and unaffordable – think original Jean Prouvé chairs and Le Corbusier lamps.
Architecture that awes you
Anything brutalist, but specifically the Trellick Tower.
Interiors you envy
The Sheats-Goldstein House in Los Angeles (I envy the exterior as well!) Also 180 The Strand – every piece of furniture in that place is a masterpiece.
How do you unwind?
Spin classes. 45 minutes of survival.
Most stylish place
Palm Springs (but only the houses).
Your must-pack item
A jumpsuit: no need to think about matching tops and bottoms.
City you’d move to
Lisbon – for the colours, the food, the language, the climate and the people.
Strangest hotel experience
A troop of monkeys raiding my minibar in Londolozi, South Africa.
It’s not a holiday without…
Tipsy lunches.
Guilty pleasure
Eating Candy Kittens while watching Amélie.
@account to follow
@a.elliise is the Instagram account I turn to when I’m looking for inspiration or an aesthetic pick-me-up.
Define love in three words
Make me whole.
Define sex in three words
Make me…
Francesca was photographed at her Mayfair studio by Louis AW Sheridan. The Grima collections can be viewed by appointment.