Eva Marie

We chat to Sarah Simms, owner and designer of the covetable Edinburgh-based accessories label.

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My obsession with accessories began when I was travelling in India. I was so inspired by the way many of the girls working on street stalls created stunning statement pieces out of nothing more than shells, scrap wood and plastic – making little pieces of art out of things many of us would have thrown away. I came home wanting to create, so I started exploring jewellery design. I believe accessories are the key to transforming any outfit. I knew I wanted to dedicate my little venture to my grandma, Eva Marie. The name became like an alter ego for me, giving me the confidence to start chasing a er my dream. A friend then asked me to help her design her wedding-day hair accessory. Being involved in such a special day really inspired me to think more about bridal accessories. Soon after this, I too was getting married, and it made sense to create my own headpiece just the way I wanted it. Then, on my wedding day in 2014, I was photographed in my Valentino cherry blossom pink wedding dress and pearl headpiece by one of Carolina Herrera’s photographers, Simbarashe Cha, on Cherry Hill in New York’s Central Park. Many people saw those images and I was soon asked to design and make headpieces for friends and then their friends, and from there Eva Marie really got started. My training has been quite unorthodox. I watched many jewellery design videos on YouTube and I went to various night classes to build up my design and business skills. I believe in this world you have to be brave enough to carve out the life you want for yourself.