Trends

Meet the Young Designer Taking the Helm at John Hardy

TrendsAug 04, 2016

Meet the Young Designer Taking the Helm at John Hardy

Hollie Bonneville Barden has held positions as creative director of two major design houses, all before her 30th birthday.

20160804_John-Hardy-Hollie.jpg
Hollie Bonneville Barden

New York--Hollie Bonneville Barden has had the kind of wunderkind success story that you don’t typically encounter in the jewelry industry.

Upon graduating from Central Saint Martins in London, the British designer fell into a freelance gig for De Beers LV that eventually led to her becoming the company’s youngest-ever creative director.

This year, Bonneville Barden quite literally expanded her horizons, when she accepted the position of creative director at John Hardy, a move which has re-located her to New York and Bali. Not bad for a young designer who just celebrated her 30th birthday.

We sat down with the rising jewelry star to see what she has in store for the iconic brand.

National Jeweler: Your first collection for John Hardy won’t be until fall 2017. What do you anticipate the year leading up to the first collection will be like and how will you go about immersing yourself in the DNA of the brand?

Hollie Bonneville Barden: I joined in April so I’m really working on fall ‘17 now, though I feel like it’s going to come around very quickly. I took a trip to Bali and it was all about immersing myself in the brand. As soon as I joined, one of the key objectives was to start getting under the skin of John Hardy and to immerse myself in the archives, meet the incredible people behind the brand. There are so many people who contribute to the jewelry-making and have been with the brand for so long, so that’s been an amazing experience to get their perspective and really dive into the different collections so I understand the essence of those collections as I start to work into them for fall.

NJ: Is there a particular collection you gravitate toward the most, or that inspires you the most?

HBB: I’m working across all of the collections. I’m really inspired by each of the aesthetics. If I had to pick, Bamboo has this kind of bold strength to it. It’s so iconic to John Hardy and also just the fact that when you buy a piece of bamboo jewelry, you know that you are giving back. With each piece that’s bought, bamboo is re-planted. So there’s that sustainable luxury aspect.
“It’s really about respecting and not about reinventing.”
Then there’s all of the chain work. I’m wearing the Modern Chain right now. It’s so fluid, you kind of have
to wear it to appreciate it. It’s just that feeling of a second skin almost. It has a bold, amazing femininity to it. It has that kind of grace and elegance with strength and I think that’s so iconic to John Hardy, so that’s kind of an aesthetic I’m carrying forward as I continue.

NJ: Were you very familiar with the brand before you joined their team?

HBB: I was introduced to John Hardy a few years ago and it was an amazing learning experience for me because the more I understood about the brand, the more I fell in love with it. The whole connection to Bali is so unique, and the balance between New York and Bali. I think that there’s no other brand like it. It really sort of symbolizes that authenticity to traditional craftsmanship, but at the same time it’s a forward-thinking, contemporary brand. And I think that it’s that kind of balance that I fell in love with.

NJ: How has your transition been moving to New York?

HBB: It’s been a whirlwind. It’s been amazing, just kind of very much immersing myself in the brand but at the same time moving to New York and all of the things that go along with that. It’s really exciting to be here with all of the energy, all of the creativity.
“John Hardy is so much about discovery.”
NJ: How much time will you spend in Bali and how much in New York?

HBB: I work with the design team, who are all based in Bali, so it’s intrinsic for me to be both here at the head office, but then very well connected to Asia, so it’s going to be kind of 50/50. I will be very much connected to the Bali team and it’s just about finding that balance. I feel very blessed to have that access to the soul of the brand really; it’s where everything began and it’s really the home of the brand still to this day.

NJ: Having worked with another large jewelry brand and now working at John Hardy, how do you balance maintaining the aesthetic and heritage of a house with bringing in your own creativity?

HBB: I think that whenever you work with a brand as iconic as John Hardy, for me it’s about retaining that beauty and the soul and the essence of what the brand’s identity is, while bringing a fresh perspective. I’ll bring my personality and my touch and my interpretation of the brand but I think it’s really about respecting and not about reinventing. It’s about revisiting and diving deeper into the archives to fully extract this wonderful kind of creativity that’s been going on since 1975. There’s a lot there.

NJ: A lot has been made of your age. Do you feel that you connect with millennials or have a capability of bringing in a younger customer?

HBB: John Hardy has an amazing following of fans and we want to continue to inspire them around the brand and bring newness to what they know, but at the same time encourage new people to discover it. John Hardy is so much about discovery. I think it’s really about honoring the John Hardy look and appealing to the customer that’s already there, while also recruiting a new younger client.
“I love the stones that have a kind of fascination of light and an allure to them… something which captures that raw energy of earth.”
NJ: What ideas do you have for the brand?

HBB: It’s so exciting right now, I’m really researching in every direction, so I’m just taking that all under my skin but I hope that I can bring out a lot of that sort of exotic side of the brand: the color, the stones. I think there’s a great opportunity for material innovation for the brand, juxtaposing gold and unusual materials.

NJ: What are your favorite stones and materials?

HBB: I’m doing a lot of research on stones right now. It’s eye opening for me because I came from more of a diamond-oriented background and now I’m going more into gems and all of the materials in Bali, the petrified woods that you get, things like that that are just away from the gems altogether. I love the stones that have a kind of fascination of light and an allure to them. I’m looking at a lot of moonstones and star sapphires, things that have an ignited feel, opals, things that have that kind of fire and light in them, something which captures that raw energy of earth.
“Jewelry harnesses this amazing quality of not only being sculptural and artistic and beautiful but also sentimental.”
NJ: What brought you to jewelry design originally?

HBB: I always loved art. I knew I was going to go to art school and I didn’t know it would be jewelry design that I would develop myself in, but certainly from a very young age I was inspired by my grandmother and all the jewelry that she used to share with me. I realized that jewelry harnesses this amazing quality of not only being sculptural and artistic and beautiful but also sentimental. It’s a storyteller and I think that it’s that balance that inspired me toward jewelry design.

When I was studying originally at art school, I was introduced to this amazing tutor who kind of inspired me toward going into the workshop and just getting my hands dirty and that dynamic of the workshop environment was something completely new to me.

NJ: What are you most looking forward to at John Hardy?

HBB: I’m most looking forward to just having this rich brand at my fingertips. It’s something so new to me, having all of this archive to continually re-explore, the connection to Bali and understanding the sort of authenticity of the brand there. I’m looking forward to bringing my perspective on all of that and reinspiring people around the brand.
Ashley Davisis the senior editor, fashion at National Jeweler, covering all things related to design, style and trends.

The Latest

Stock image of handcuffs
CrimeJun 18, 2025
7 Men Indicted in $100M Brinks Jewelry Heist

The heist happened in Lebec, California, in 2022 when a Brinks truck was transporting goods from one show in California to another.

Marie-Thérèse Pink diamond and Blue Belle sapphire necklace
AuctionsJun 18, 2025
Historic ‘Marie-Thérèse Pink’ Diamond Fetches $14M at Christie’s

The 10-carat fancy purple-pink diamond with potential links to Marie Antoinette headlined the white-glove jewelry auction this week. 

Caryl Capeci Starboard Cruises
EditorsJun 18, 2025
Q&A: Caryl Capeci Dives Into Cruise Jewelry Shopping

The Starboard Cruises SVP discusses who is shopping for jewelry on ships, how much they’re spending, and why brands should get on board.

an instructor and a student in a bench jewelry classroom
Brought to you by
Investing in the Next Generation of Bench Jewelers

The Seymour & Evelyn Holtzman Bench Scholarship from Jewelers of America returns for a second year.

Gresham grasshopper ring
AuctionsJun 18, 2025
16th-Century ‘Gresham Grasshopper’ Ring Sells for $56K

The historic signet ring exceeded its estimate at Noonans Mayfair’s jewelry auction this week.

Weekly QuizJun 20, 2025
This Week’s Quiz
Test your jewelry news knowledge by answering these questions.
Take the Quiz
Kirk Kara fine jewelry
CollectionsJun 18, 2025
Kirk Kara Celebrates 135 Years With New Jewels

To mark the milestone, the brand is introducing new non-bridal fine jewelry designs for the first time in two decades.

Gemfields 36 Carat Ruby
SourcingJun 18, 2025
Gemfields Sells 36-Carat Rough Ruby

The gemstone is the third most valuable ruby to come out of the Montepuez mine, Gemfields said.

Jewelers of America logo with meetup, State of the Majors, giveaway and massages
Brought to you by
Jewelers of America is Headed to Las Vegas for JCK 2025

The countdown is on for the JCK Las Vegas Show and JA is pulling out all the stops.

Alex Brown
TechnologyJun 18, 2025
Alex Brown Named President of Smithee Group

Founder and longtime CEO Ben Smithee will stay with the agency, transitioning into the role of founding partner and strategic advisor.

Jade Ruzzo Gloria Collar
EditorsJun 17, 2025
The Best New Jewelry from Couture 2025, Part 1

Associate Editor Natalie Francisco shares 20 of her favorite pieces from the jewelry collections that debuted at Couture.

Jewelry industry author, speaker, and sales expert Peter Smith
ColumnistsJun 17, 2025
Peter Smith: Is Your Comp Plan a Hiring Hindrance?

If you want to attract good salespeople and generate a stream of “sleeping money” for your jewelry store, then you are going to have to pay.

Selection of jewelry from Sotheby’s New York High Jewelry sale
AuctionsJun 17, 2025
Colored Gemstones, Signed Jewels Shine in Sotheby’s High Jewelry Sale

The top lot was a colorless Graff diamond, followed by a Burmese ruby necklace by Marcus & Co.

Amanda Gizzi, Jewelers of America’s SVP of corporate affairs
MajorsJun 17, 2025
Amanda Gizzi Gets a Promotion at JA

Gizzi, who has been in the industry since 2001, is now Jewelers of America’s senior vice president of corporate affairs.

Kering CEO Luca de Meo
MajorsJun 17, 2025
Kering Names Automotive Exec as Its New CEO

Luca de Meo, a 30-year veteran of the auto industry, will succeed longtime CEO François-Henri Pinault.

Botswana Minster of Minerals and Energy Bogolo Joy Kenewendo
EditorsJun 16, 2025
Q&A: Bogolo Joy Kenewendo on Mining, Tariffs, and the Energy of Las Vegas

Following visits to Vegas and New York, Botswana’s minerals minister sat down with Michelle Graff to discuss the state of the diamond market.

Greenwich Street Jewelers Your Love Has the Perfect Ring Campaign
IndependentsJun 16, 2025
Greenwich St. Jewelers Launches Commitment Campaign Celebrating LGBTQ+ Couples

The “Your Love Has the Perfect Ring” campaign showcases the strength of love and need for inclusivity and representation, the jeweler said.

Ivette Nersesyan-Stephanopoulos
MajorsJun 16, 2025
Ivette Nersesyan-Stephanopoulos Joins Tiffany & Co.

The former De Beers executive is the jewelry house’s new director of high jewelry for the Americas.

New York Liberty Nyara Sabally Catbird campaign
MajorsJun 16, 2025
Catbird Names WNBA Star Nyara Sabally as Its New Brand Ambassador

The New York Liberty forward is the first athlete to represent the Brooklyn-based jewelry brand.

Robinson Pelham Fruits of Love Pear Earrings
CollectionsJun 13, 2025
Piece of the Week: Robinson Pelham’s Pear Earrings

Take a bite out of the 14-karat yellow gold “Fruits of Love Pear” earrings featuring peridots, diamond stems, and tsavorite leaves.

Three diamonds with diagrams
Events & AwardsJun 13, 2025
AGA to Host ‘Diamonds From Mine to Market’ Education Conference

The one-day virtual event will feature speakers from De Beers, GIA, and Gemworld International.

Ella Sophie
EditorsJun 12, 2025
15 Questions With Jewelry Photographer Ella Sophie

The California-based creative talks jewelry photography in the modern era and tackles FAQs about working with a pro for the first time.

A pink gold Patek Philippe perpetual calendar chronograph Ref. 2499
AuctionsJun 12, 2025
Vintage Patek Philippe From the ‘50s Sells for $4M at Sotheby’s

Al Capone’s pocket watch also found a buyer, though it went for less than half of what it did at auction four years ago.

Gabriel Love Foundation Logo
Events & AwardsJun 12, 2025
Gabriel Love Foundation Introduces Scholarship Honoring Elias Gabriel

The foundation has also expanded its “Stronger Together” initiative with Jewelers for Children.

Celine Assimon
AuctionsJun 12, 2025
Former De Beers Exec Celine Assimon Joins Bonhams

Assimon is the auction house’s new chief commercial officer.

De Beers CEO Al Cook speaking at JCK Las Vegas 2025
EditorsJun 11, 2025
Q&A: Al Cook on Differentiating Natural Diamonds, Traceability, and Tariffs

The De Beers Group CEO discusses the company’s new “beacon” program, the likelihood diamonds will be exempt from tariffs, and “Origin.”

Pandora Las Vegas ribbon cutting ceremony
MajorsJun 11, 2025
Pandora Bets on Las Vegas for First North American Flagship

The Danish jewelry giant hosted its grand opening last weekend, complete with a Pandora pink roulette wheel.

Tiffany Stevens
GradingJun 11, 2025
Tiffany Stevens Exits IGI, Lab Appoints New Board Leader

Industry veteran Anoop Mehta is the new chairman and independent director of the IGI board.

×

This site uses cookies to give you the best online experience. By continuing to use & browse this site, we assume you agree to our Privacy Policy