Getting Hooked

By Karl Hendry

May 18, 2006

Inspired by the roaring 20s flapper style and the bright plastic beads and faux pearls of the 1950s through to the 1980s, innovative jewellery designer Fern Vallesi creates one-off original pieces that maintain a sense of fashion history in style and content.

Sourcing materials from op-shops, garage sales and flea markets, Fern is currently creating necklaces and earrings incorporating retro, vintage and new beads, trinkets and chain in her constantly evolving designs.

“I make one-of-a-kind original pieces, recycling old costume jewellery in my designs,” says Fern. “I enjoy the whole process of finding something that’s old but not necessarily wearable anymore, or just not interesting, and creating a piece of fashionable jewellery”.
Starting as a hobbyist costume jeweller seven years ago and selling pieces at the occasional market stall, her design skills have since matured and she has been receiving praise for her mixture of old and new. Since being accepted into the New Enterprise Incentive

Scheme (NEIS) three months ago Fern has been trading under the name Hooked by Fern and now has her designs in several specialist boutiques in the metropolitan area including Varga Girl, Brutus & Moss, Estar on Oxford and South of the Border.

Since being accepted into the New Enterprise Incentive Scheme (NEIS) three months ago Fern has been trading under the name Hooked by Fern and now has her designs in several specialist boutiques in the metropolitan area including Varga Girl, Brutus & Moss, Estar on Oxford and South of the Border.

A Federal Government initiative administered by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, NEIS aims to train, support and help the aspiring small business owner to become self-supporting and independent as they attempt to establish their own viable business.  

Around 75 per cent of all small businesses fail in their first year with only 25 per cent of NEIS sponsored businesses meeting a similar fate.

“I think the course was invaluable,” begins Fern.

“Writing a business plan really made concrete all of my ideas and helped me clarify how I was going to achieve my objectives. I think more than anything NEIS has given me the confidence to get out there and have faith in my product,” she said.

Though the initial learning curve is steep for any first time small business owner, Fern is preparing to approach further stockists in the metropolitan area in addition to several in the southwest of WA and is making a sales trip to the eastern states later on in the year with an aspiration to sell internationally as well as domestically.

As Fern expands her customer base and subsequent income, she plans to develop her designs into something that is closer to fine jewellery by using real silver and gemstones and combining these with the materials that she is currently using.