Pretty Personal with Robyne Cowling
They say that home is where the heart is - and that couldn’t be more true than in the case of Robyne’s jewellery line, Home Is Where The Heart Is, which has absolutely stolen our hearts. With designs ranging from geometric Aztec pendants to cute and cuddly cats, we were sure there had to be an interesting person behind the pieces, and we weren’t wrong!
- Hello Robyne! Tell us a little about yourself.
Hello hello! My story goes back a few years. My passion for jewellery started when I was just a little one. My mum owned jewellery and accessories shops in Natal, and I spent my childhood behind the counter ringing up sales -loved the clicky buttons on the till! Some might say child labour, I just call it starting young!
After school I tried out a few different interests and passions, and was in the fashion industry for a few years doing make-up artistry and hairstyling. In my spare time I did jewellery and painting hobby classes, and at the age of 23 decided jewellery was my calling, so back to school for me! - And from there, how did HIWTHI happen?
"Home is where the heart is" started out as my final year theme. I put my exhibition on Facebook for friends and family to see what I had been working on all year, and from that a budding business was born.
- So your business is actually barely a year old? Amazing! How do you find inspiration for your pieces?
I love that I am passionate about what I do, and that keeps me ‘topped up’. I’ve become obsessed with dogs, in particular my sausage Lucy, they are the best kind of housemate! Pretty quiet and happy all the time!
- Hm, wondering if it would be possible to swap some of my teammates for sausage dogs. (Kidding guys, kidding…) So, tell us what’s special about the things that HIWTHI makes?
Well, for starters, each one is handmade with love! <3
I think my products and my brand incapsulate me as a person - I deal with each client personally and build a relationship with every one. My brand definitely has that ‘let your heart feel at home’ feeling. I love making people feel comfortable buying jewellery, and more importantly, buying jewellery online without ever having seen the piece. I also enjoy working with clients on their designs and making their jewellery dreams come to life. - We think we know the answer to this one already, but, cats or dogs?
DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS DOGS!!!!!
So, we’re thinking you might be a dog person, but we really can’t be sure….One thing we are sure about, though, is how much we love her jewellery. Get yours from the Home Is Where The Heart Is Hello Pretty store, and get in touch on Facebook.
Posted by Adeline on 01 Nov 2013
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