Founded in 2022 by Creative Director Liam Winter, The Winter House officially debuted on the London Fashion Week schedule for SS24 — introducing a new wave of sculptural jewellery to a global audience. Drawing inspiration from his background in film, Winter crafts collections from a storytelling perspective, creating emotive and captivating pieces that seem to take on lives of their own. And just like their wearers, the pieces hold histories and memories that feel embedded within their DNA — built from recycled silver that has lived past lives and will outlive the current age.

Conceptually, the master of detail looks to the outskirts of the city, beyond what the collective public sees, to turn mundane or minute specificities into eye-catching protagonists. Cracked pavement or an overgrown alley could spark inspiration for the designer and become the muse for an avant-garde necklace or ring.

Dynamic and multilayered, the pieces are made to last, with high craftsmanship and design details that could hold your gaze for hours. A brand unlike any other, and favoured by the likes of Steve Lacy, Lourdes Leon, and Teezo Touchdown, it is no surprise that The Winter House was selected by the British Fashion Council to be part of their NEWGEN initiative. We cannot wait to see what’s to come.

We heard from Winter about starting The Winter House, striking a balance between sculptural art and wearability, and the future of his boundary-pushing work.

Explore more here.

Read the interview…

When did you start The Winter House and what was the process like of getting it up and running?
I officially launched the website and Instagram in February 2021, but I’d been working under the radar with the help of my housemate, Alex, for about a year before that! It was this year-long flow state, where there were no bad ideas. We’d go for long walks around North London, taking pictures. We’d bring back thorny branches, roots, random bits of metal to the house, and scan them with my ancient £30 printer/scanner… Tons of sketching and sculpting, it was this natural, unbridled creativity where I didn’t think once about how we’d be received (a really hard thing to do nowadays). About a month before we launched, we switched gears and entered a period of ruthless editing. I remember a tutor at St Martins used to call this “killing your puppies”, because you love your ideas so much, but you can only keep a fraction of them. There are hundreds of designs and iterations left unrealised, in favour of what you see today. Ultimately, I wanted a visceral, palpable vision that spoke directly to the senses. The last thing I wanted was to create something that people could intellectualise – I wanted to create work that forced you to respond emotionally. A brand world that people could immerse themselves in if it resonated with them.

Your work explores the mundane and details that are often overlooked — how do you translate these ideas and emotions into statement pieces?
I think that my job as a designer is to direct attention. I take something that I think you should be looking at and put it somewhere that your eyes already go. It’s strangely similar to making a documentary, something becomes important when we point the lens to it.

You beautifully combine the wearable with sculptural for accessible avant-garde pieces — how do you find that balance between couture and RTW?
That’s kind of you, thank you. It’s tough actually and something I’m continuously working on. I come to jewellery from the perspective of a sculptor, so I’m shaking this terrible habit of saving practical thinking until the very last minute. What helps is considering the wearer as part of the sculpture. Rather than trying to create something that looks just as impactful when laid on a table, I design with the knowledge that the right person will animate my work, and without them it’s just metal. Wearability is the ingredient that transforms sculpture into jewellery.

How did you get connected with the BFC NEWGEN initiative and what was that like to work with them for the SS24 season?
A friend and mentor who I met at a showroom in Paris suggested that I apply. It’s difficult getting a brand off of the ground for reasons that don’t present themselves at the outset. The BFC has welcomed me into a community of like-minded designers from whom I’ve learned so much already. This network combined with the support presenting The Winter House on schedule at LFW has opened doors that wouldn’t be available to an industry outsider like myself. I’m very grateful.

What is the process like of actually making the pieces?
My process usually begins with a late-night walk and my music blasting loud in my ears. I take photographs and generally try to enter my “Winter House” mind frame, actively seeking inspiration. I sit with ideas for weeks at a time, and note shapes, concepts and fully formed pieces in my notebook to expand upon later. When I find an idea that I want to take forward, I get sculpting. I’m an experienced digital and physical sculptor and each design requires a different set of skills from me to produce the final waxes. I’m a self-taught jeweller creating each piece from my home studio in North London. I’m constantly improving my craft and have developed relationships with several skilled artisans based in Hatton Gardens (London’s jewellery hub), who help me with my more technically demanding designs. What I love about jewellery is that I get to engage in disciplines as ancient and physical as lost wax casting and as high tech as 3D scanning and computer aided design.

Can you speak a bit about your use of recycled silver? What does this offer the pieces from storytelling, design, and sustainability angles?
The intriguing paradox of silver lies in its ability to both persist and transform. For generations it can serve as a cherished heirloom, and then in an instant, a complete metamorphosis will birth something new. All of the silver we use is recycled, we even melt down our one-of-a-kind concept pieces after we shoot them and use them for the pieces that we sell. The chances are, if you’re wearing a piece from The Winter House, it’s been one of our experimental pieces in its past life. I like to imagine all of the lives our jewellery has had before we formed it, and all of the forms it will take in the centuries to come.

Is there a piece you’re particularly proud of?
If pushed, I’d have to say the Thorn Chain Classic, from our most recent collection. It’s a fully soldered, solid silver chain composed of cuban links each bearing a pair of unruly thorns. The necklace is so commanding and abrasive to look at, yet so comfortable to wear. The thorns are angled so that you’re never spiked, and the necklace articulates so fluidly, like a spine – it’s so satisfying. As a complete piece, it really communicates what The Winter House is about.

Do you have any dream clients?
A brand in many ways is who wears it, so I hope to continue working with clients who represent the vision and bring an interesting dimension to the narrative. When Teezo Touchdown wore us earlier this year it was so exciting because we’ve loved his work for a while now! It’s great seeing people use The Winter House to further express their own visions whilst simultaneously expanding ours.

Where do you hope to take the brand next?
I want bigger projects that really push the boundaries for jewellery design. I want to incorporate this into our presentations and really put on a show for people who attend. I want to further develop designs that are easy to integrate into people’s lives – quality pieces that communicate in the same way the larger statement pieces do. I’m also craving some collaboration at the moment. I’m keeping an eye out for other like-minded fashion brands, or artists to work with. I’d love us to be on a runway for example.