Get to know the Melbourne-based jewellery label soon to appear in everyone’s wardrobes

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26th Jul 2019

William Édouard came to the attention of the Vogue office during Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week Australia this past May. Pieces from the Melbourne-based jewellery brand were seen dripping off the necks of models at the Christopher Esber resort 2020 show. Aside from those must-have pendants, there were also subtle toe rings peeking out of sandals and barely-there earrings, in solid yellow gold and sterling silver, incorporating white moonstone, black onyx and cabochon gemstones. Sure, the clothes were centre stage, but the styling often makes a show, and William Édouard’s contribution didn’t go unnoticed. 

This Christopher Esber collaboration was the brand’s runway debut but the designer, William Drury, has been designing and making pieces out of his Melbourne studio since early last year. “After I completed my diploma at The Revere Academy of Jewelry Arts, San Francisco in 2017, I landed a job working for an artisan jeweller in Melbourne,” Drury tells Vogue. “I love the intricacies of jewellery design and working with my hands, so I decided to launch William Édouard in 2018 to explore personal ideas.”

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Since starting his label, Drury has been focussed on ensuring there is a sustainable element to every piece. “I feel instead of the question of why it’s important, it’s more relevant to ask why not,” he says. “We need to look after our fellow humans and ensure we’re part of the solution and not the problem. We should educate consumers and encourage them to do business with suppliers who do the right thing and conversely, deprive suppliers of businesses when they’re acting unethically. This is also why it is important for me to work with suppliers that are members of the Responsible Jewellery Council (RJC), an international standard on responsible business practices for diamonds, gold and platinum group metals.”

Drury uses recycled gold when it’s available and works exclusively with recycled silver, reclaimed from old jewellery, photography and medical equipment and scrap metals. “We also recycle all of our off-cut,” he shares. “All of my stones are ethically sourced from suppliers that are members of the RJC and my packaging is also made from 100 per cent recycled materials.”

As for the collaboration with Australian designer Christopher Esber, Drury says that came about organically. “It was one of those partnerships that was fluid from the start, so I feel really lucky to have worked with him for my first collaboration. He’s very meticulous with his work and I feel the same way about my craft. We sort of just understood what we had in mind for the collaboration from our initial conversation, from there our design aesthetic complemented each other and the end result was better than I could imagine.”

The pair, who live in different states, worked via email to bring the collaboration to life. In the end, they decided on six exclusive styles, working on each design together to ensure they were both happy with the pieces that would feature in the show. “Chris knew what he wanted, so we bounced ideas off each other until we came to something that resonated with us both and built from there.”

Now, Drury is working on a new collection to release later this year but he is also seeking out other potential collaborations. “I really enjoyed the co-designing process and learning from different creatives,” he says. “I am still relatively new to the industry but I’m eager to share William Édouard with a global audience.”