Weddings, Wish List & Design Inspirations With CEO Of Wingfield Digby, Alice Digby
Wingfield Digby, like ourselves, are a family owned British brand who are based in London. They create beautiful home accessories and are renowned for handcrafting iridescent feathers into their designs. Their pieces are often bought as wedding gifts, and as wedding season is just around the corner we thought what better time to catch up with their founder Alice Digby to discuss design inspirations, wish lists and wedding day advice!
Alice Digby on her Wedding Day in Wingfield Digby Photo Frame
For those who aren’t familiar with Wingfield Digby, tell us about your company?
We are a family-owned, British home accessories company – renowned for handcrafting iridescent feathers into each of our luxury designs. Feather types range from Duck and Goose to Peacock and Partridge. We are best-known for our iconic photo frame collection – featuring Guinea Fowl and Pheasant feathers layered into the outer frame, alongside our strong presence at equestrian events across the UK.
Richmond Park By Niall O’Laoire
Like us you are a London based company but are also inspired by the Great British countryside and natural world. Which are your favourite city and country spots?
City wise, Battersea and Richmond Park. I’ve also recently discovered The Wetland Centre in Barnes, where you can see a huge array of bird life. You can probably tell by this response that I’m definitely a country girl! Country wise, my favourite spots are The Jurassic Coast in Dorset, The Camel Estuary in Cornwall and the West Coast of Scotland (in summer!).
We often get asked by customers to create bespoke jewellery using a feather motif. As feathers are a big focus of your designs what is it that you find so appealing about them and why do you think the feather is a motif that people like so much?
For me personally, I have always found feathers rather majestic – I remember finding a pheasant tail feather as a child and being mesmerised by its beauty, with such intricate markings yet entirely made by nature. I try to reflect that excitement I had as a child into all of my designs. I also find it fascinating that their unique markings have existed for millennia, yet the patterns they create are surprisingly contemporary.
Many of our customers, like me, have discovered beautiful feathers over the years, and can relate to the excitement of finding them. However, they didn’t know what to do with them and how to incorporate them successfully into the home. People often say how pleased they are to see the feathers being used and celebrated in the designs.
Wingfield Digby Feathers
Stephen Einhorn Large Bluebird Necklace on Wingfield Digby Green Pheasant Feather & Glass Large Table Centre
How important is Made in Britain to you?
Extremely important. Having started the company during the last recession, I had hoped that by building a successful business, I would be able to provide employment and opportunities here in the UK. I’m incredibly proud of Britain’s entrepreneurial spirit and hope that by creating new products that hark to Britain’s incredible heritage and landscape, Wingfield Digby in some small way contributes to Britain’s status as a world leader in innovation and luxury goods.
Stephen Einhorn Halo 4 Cushion Cluster Ring on Wingfield Digby Duck and Green Pheasant Feather & Glass Placemats
You’re a family business like we are. What do you most love about it and is there anything you find difficult?
Working with family can be the best and worst thing. On the one hand, you’re guaranteed 100% support, dedication and lots of time with your loved ones – however it’s not to be confused with quality family time. I find the latter often gets sacrificed when at the busy times work continues into evenings and weekends and the lines between home and work become very blurred.
Wingfield Digby Round Placemats
Wedding season is on the horizon and your designs are bought a lot as wedding gifts, what would be your go to Wingfield Digby piece as a wedding gift?
Frames are an absolute winner for wedding gifts. You have so many wonderful photos of the big day so receiving a beautiful frame is a great excuse to get them printed and up on the mantle piece. You never have too many wedding memories, so you can never have too many frames to capture them!
Stephen Einhorn Geo Eternity Rings on Wingfield Digby Mixed Pheasant Feather & Glass Large Table Centre
And talking of gifts, which Stephen Einhorn design would you most like to receive from your partner for your wedding or anniversary?
It would have to be The Hummingbird Necklace in gold – what an exquisite piece!
Stephen Einhorn Gold Hummingbird Charm
What would have been the best piece of advice you could have been given before your wedding day?
Your wedding day goes by so quickly, take as much time as you can as a couple to let it all sink in. Also make sure you give your photographer a list of all the important people you’d like photos taken with to ensure you have those precious photos for years to come.
Wingfield Digby Guinea Fowl and Green Pheasant Feather & Glass Placemats
Photo frames are one of your most popular designs which is no surprise as photos hold a very similar emotional and sentimental value as a piece of fine jewellery does. If you could create a bespoke piece of jewellery for yourself or for another what would it be and what treasured moment would it represent?
It would be piece of jewellery for my daughter Scarlett, for when she leaves school. It would be a charm of an oyster to wear on a necklace or bracelet and it would signify that the world is her oyster; perhaps there would be a small pearl peeking out of the oyster.
Wingfield Digby are thrilled to offer all Stephen Einhorn customers 15% off all their feathered products. Simply enter discount code WDEIN15 upon online purchase. www.wingfielddigby.co.uk
