A SPARKLING TRIP TO ASTRID & MIYU KATE WEIR investigates the hip jewellery brand’s new Notting Hill outpost by road-testing a tragus piercing… Most of us are looking for a small cosmetic upgrade after lockdown, be it an inch or so off after an influx of comfort food, a haircut or a piece of clothing that doesn’t have an elastic waist. Well, with the arrival of a new Astrid & Miyu shop in Notting Hill, we’re stepping it up a notch; alongside very covetable chunky hoops, dainty anklets and mix-and-match necklaces, the superlatively stylish, box-fresh shop offers tattoo and piercing services alongside a unique welded-bracelet offering. With our heads turned by their gem-encrusted – not too heavy-duty – barbells and stackable rings and cuffs, we decided to visit for a tragus piercing and to check out the beautiful new space. If you feel a little apprehensive at the thought of needles piercing your skin or making a permanent modification to your body, be sure to book in here; because from the dried flower displays around the doorframe, to the blush-hued interiors, to the model-beautiful yet immensely welcoming staff, it’s a place where you feel immediately at ease. Astrid & Miyu clearly have a good sense of their clientele – those looking for dinky tattoos of planets, stars or zodiac signs rather than full-back pieces or flirtily curated ear candy rather than subdermal implants – and they’ve created a safe, laidback space for those who might be intimidated by a more hardcore studio.
go, and the brand have been impressively giving during lockdown: all their profits for May and June 2020 were donated to the Rainbow Collection to aid domestic-violence survivors; they partnered with Med Supply Drive to supply PPE; delivered sanitary products to NHS workers; gave key workers a 30 per cent discount; sewed masks; and provided free business advice for small brands. Plus, they supported LGBT+ charity Just Like Us during Pride; started a three-month mentorship programme which has helped alcohol brand Collagin, accessory and lifestyle brand Sun & Day and work-bag business AMZA; and Nam personally forwent her salary for three months to provide grants for black-owned businesses. If sustainability is your concern, then it’s Astrid & Miyu’s too – an innovative 3D-printing service they’re developing cuts down on their carbon footprint and allows them to customise pieces to clients’ tastes. Frankly, we’re happy to put our money – and our ears – into their hands; Notting Hill residents’ lives just got a little sparklier. For bookings and to purchase pieces visit www.astridandmiyu.com.
My experience was seamless and thankfully pain-free – and Covid safe throughout. I filled out the standard safety forms in a cosy waiting area with a neon light, plants and velvet couches, then went into the coolly decked out studio, sat in the chair, turned my head to one side and within less than five minutes I was the proud possessor of some glamorous new ear-gear. At the time of writing it’s healing incredibly well with the odd spritz from a saline solution. I would happily return to accoutre more cartilage or get some cute permanent markings. And, if you’re not quite ready to make such a commitment, the store’s welded bracelets – certainly the first I’ve seen in London – are an excellent alternative. This hot new take on the BFF bracelet is a claspless gold chain secured onto your wrist by an experienced jeweller; the result is something tasteful and timeless which can easily be snipped off with scissors should your bracelet buddy fall out of favour. It’s just one of the innovations the brand has in plan. We chatted with founder Connie Nam, who moved from a role in finance in Hong Kong to conceiving a jewellery business around her kitchen table in Notting Hill (this outpost is something of a homecoming for her). Inspired by the more inviting, accessible jewellery stores of Seoul, where pieces weren’t imprisoned behind glass and you could see artisans at work, Nam has adopted a more holistic method of shopping and an altruistic approach throughout the brand. In-store there’s a workspace at the back and Grind coffee on the KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
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