New Forest designer is inspired by Alice

For jewellery designer Nixxi Rose, from Langley, it came from a gravestone in Lyndhurst, the burial place of Alice Liddell, the inspiration behind Lewis Carroll’s classic novel Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

Having always loved the story and the local connection to the real-life Alice, when it came to creating a brand new range of accessories, the unique characters proved the perfect inspiration.

“It sounds r e a l l y morbid but I thought it was really cool that Alice in Wonderland was dead and buried by this church and I could go and visit her grave.

“It is pretty weird, but I wanted to do my own version of Alice in Wonderland and make it quite creepy, make it a bit darker,” she says.

From then she started work on her new line, Wonderland, and now has jewellery, accessories and shoes based around the different characters including the Caterpillar, The Red Queen and The Mad Hatter.

Her location is also proving positive in the marketing of her designs.

“All the photoshoots are done in the New Forest and within Hampshire.

“I used to work in Lyndhurst and driving through the Forest I’d think: ‘Oh, it’s so beautiful’.

“I can imagine how the book was written based on the countryside.”

Having only started up her company last year 22-year-old Nixxi, real name Nicola Rose Humphriss, has already sold items to people all across the world, with 80 per cent of her stock going to America.

Becoming the first person to specialise in jewellery at Brockenhurst College she went to Bucks New University in High Wycombe to study for a degree in jewellery and silver smithing.

While she was there her designs became popular and when she finished university and moved home she had a list of people asking for custom made orders.

Supportive parents built her a workshop and since then she has been custom making and designing each unique product to order.

Surprisingly it’s a pair of zombie shoes, inspired by Nixxi’s love of horror movies, that have become her best-seller.

“I’ve done about six bridal commissions this year. They’ve all been in America and they’ve all walked up the aisle in zombie shoes.”

Already planning her next line, Mythical Monsters, including mermaid, unicorn and dragon themed items, Nixxi has big plans.

“I’m just going to carry on trying to build my business as it’s still pretty small at the minute. I’m pleased at how far I’ve got in a year.

“Hopefully I’ll have my own store one day. That’s the ultimate dream.”

• For more details visit Nixxi’s Facebook page facebook.com/Nixxi.Jewellery or etsy.com/people/NixxiRose.​