Drawing upon mythology whist living out her very own, Olivia Cummings is an inspired jeweller whose journey from Melbourne to Paris, Paris to Istanbul, Istanbul to the entire world, has seen her and her work become known for its stories as much as for its design. By combining a love for the beautiful, the mysterious, and the ancient, Olivia has managed to create an interesting narrative for herself, which we eagerly wait to hear the unravelling of over cardamon spiced coffee. On a sunny Melbourne weekend, we joined Olivia in her lounge room, soaking up her radiance and musing over the things that make life feel special.
You travel a lot every year... so, where is home to you?
I sure do travel a lot. I actually have made a decision to nest a bit more now, to allow for more creativity through stillness and reflection. Because I started the business on my own, I really needed to be moving to make things happen. I am now in the process of slowing down after 4 years of madness and wild inspiration. Home is wherever I decide to be, I think. I am very good at creating a space of peace and nurturing wherever I decide to land. Melbourne is of course where I grew up, so it's my childhood home. Paris is where I spent my years between 18-24 and so it's very familiar and nostalgic for me and Istanbul is where I discovered the art of jewellery making, so I would say it's a creative home for me.
I feel alone when I am in a 24 hour flight on my own but I have really adjusted well. I am a social animal though, and I have my pack scattered around the world. No matter where I am, I have a handful of very close friends who make home feel even more comfortable. I'm not the kind of girl who needs millions of friends.
I fly back to Istanbul mid August, then London for a few meetings, Paris for some meetings with my team and then Naples. I'll be there for a while, I think. I always have things coming up in Paris and London though, so I'll hop around. I would like to mould new designs for a solid month straight though. That will be in October.
One thing that fascinates me about you is the world of symbols that cross your universe, and embedded within your body of work. Can you tell us more about this?
I think that I see symbolism and connectivity everywhere. I don't think that things can be unrelated, or random. Maybe sometimes, but not in this magical universe that we live in. Otherwise why would we be here? Once you dip into symbolism, things start to cross over and the same themes of connectivity, love, and vibrations start to arise. I try and incorporate this into my work because I think it's a reminder that we are all relevant, we all want to be relevant but at the same time it's a humbling reminder of our smallness in this huge cosmos, which I find comforting because there are bigger things going on out there.
What is your current life mantra?
Our latest collection is called Moments in Love. Can you tell us what you're like when you're in love?
I'm so happy too! Let's think comfort, one's private space where a woman reads, writes, drinks tea and only shares with those she really adores. We often focus on the outside world, how we are in spaces outside of the home but I think this event is about honouring the inside space. For me, being in my SUKU pajamas at home working on my jewellery is an extension of my inner private creative life, and I hope we are able to share this precious mood with our Melbourne friends. I'll be making Turkish coffee for everybody and I really do love meeting the women who will be wearing my line.
Teardrop Pyjama, The Stripe Boyfriend Dress, Romance Kimono.
Photography // Christine Lafian
Words // Maxine Dabrowski