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The hidden jewel of Liverpool's shopping

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LSS WoW Factor

By Ellen Kelly, Fashion Editor

International & Travel

Designer Claudia Pink is making statements with her unique take on vintage jewellery as lovers of all that glitters go wild for her accessories boutique.

The Aladdin’s cave of shiny, pretty things is perhaps the best kept secret of Liverpool’s already impressive shopping repertoire, tucked away in the depths of the lower ground floor of Renshaw Street’s Grand Central arcade.

The city's 'Most Stylish' have blazed the trail, with celebrity fans including Coleen Rooney and Alex Curran, allied to a recent appearance on GMTV, giving the boutique success down to sheer word of mouth, and on this subject Claudia Pink remains remarkably modest.

“I don’t advertise my work across the city,” she explains. “There has been a bit of interest by the press, probably because I get a lot of the Liverpool WAGs coming in.”

And it is quite easy to see exactly why such talk is spreading fast. Visitors to the store are enticed by a never ending array of bejewelled rings, and seduced by spreads of ornate bangles, each one more exquisitely designed and brightly coloured than the last. Citing French designer Thierry Mugler as one of her biggest influences, Claudia’s work draws inspiration from the classic glamour of Paris and Milan, the statement of tribal design and aesthetic of bygone eras, creating an eclectic and inimitable blend of colour and glitz.

Designs for the jewellery are all Claudia’s own, with inspiration for her work taken from the 1920s Biba era as well as exotic and tribal influences. Many of the accessories on sale have been reworked and recycled from old finds, and Claudia buys her materials from far and wide – the exact locations are, she assures me, top secret.

So just where have this lady and her magnificent designs sprung from? A fashion graduate of Leeds College of Art and Design, Claudia has been in the business of making jewellery for four years. Starting out on a stall at the Heritage Market on Liverpool’s docks, the breadth of her work eventually grew to require a shop setting, and two and a half years ago, she moved her ever increasing collection of all things sparkly to the space in Renshaw Street’s alternative shopping arcade.

But her plans for the jewellery industry don’t end there. Next week sees the launch of her website, ClaudaPink.com, which as well as a showcase for her designs will also operate as an online boutique. And in the meantime, Claudia’s main concern is making jewellery...and lots of it.

“I get my materials and my inspiration from all over the world and the country,” she explains. “I’m always on the lookout for ideas.”