Lucy Sharbanee forms one part of the duo of Cromwell Studio with some of the pieces
Camera IconLucy Sharbanee forms one part of the duo of Cromwell Studio with some of the pieces Credit: Supplied/Andrew Ritchie www.communitypix.com.au d490786

Designers Lucy Sharbanee and Jen Nolan bring fashion to life in Cromwell Studio

Belinda CiprianoEastern Reporter

A LOVE of everything vintage and fashion is what brought Aussie expats Lucy Sharbanee and Jen Nolan together to create online fashion boutique Cromwell Studio.

The duo, who met in high school in Perth, both lived and worked in corporate jobs in Melbourne, before finally meeting again in Hong Kong.

Sharbanee, now back in WA and living in North Perth, said the pair began exploring Hong Kong together and soon after discovered they shared a love of accessories.

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“We’re both collectors – we have these curated keepsakes in special boxes, it’s really funny, and the idea of creating these kinds of things that are beautiful and useful was exciting to both of us,” she said.

“We design pieces to be timeless, beautiful and fun, and it was important to us to focus on natural materials, and bespoke touches.

“We wanted to create something beautiful down to the last detail.”

Focusing on their love of silks and leather, Sharbanee said their range included cravats redesigned from a 1960’s version of her father’s, scarves and leather pieces including an original stylish leather Apple watchband.

“We’ve created our own exclusive prints for our silks, focused on detail like hand-stitched pleating on cravats, old-world linen dust bags with herringbone ribbon; the kind of attention to detail that makes things unique and precious,” she said.

“We stock our silk scarves, leather belts, and our smart-watch straps and adaptors and we’re currently working on new silk designs.

“Our first range was very safe, this time we’re taking a few more risks, more colour – we found everyone wants colour – and working on the perfect belt for denim.”

Looking to the future, Sharbanee said the duo chose not to follow follow trends and would look to expand their product line and travel to Shanghai and Sydney for more inspiration.

“We’d love Cromwell to be known for quality — premium natural fibres — and wearable, timeless accessories that blur the lines between rock, boho, and classic corporate,” she said.

“Personally, we both love to mix high end, high street, vintage, with personal touches.

“Neither of us is mad on trend-driven fashion, preferring to dress for ourselves, a bit of fun, and originality.

“Style is really about who we are, rather than what the industry is serving each quarter.”