Men's // Women's
Stephen Webster: Murder He Wrote
Pieces from Webster's Murder She Wrote Collection
When jewelry designer Stephen Webster hosts a party, you are in for an experience. The good-humored Brit’s most recent bauble bazaar? A touring Murder Mystery Party at select Neiman Marcus stores, in honor of his stunning new collection, Murder She Wrote.
After the crime scene was cleared at Dallas NorthPark, Webster sat down with NMdaily to chat about his latest storytelling series and the secret to convincing men to wear jewelry.
Webster holds a serpent ring from the Murder She Wrote collection
NMdaily: Murder She Wrote was inspired by the quirky glamour of English crime dramas from the 1940s and 1950s – the tale of the femme fatale and the country house full of deceit, revenge and jealousy. What was it about this particular genre?
Stephen Webster: Well it was the whole concept that there is sort of a nice murder and a cup of tea, which is so brilliantly English. You know the Americans would be quite gruesome with things like this, but we have all of these quintessentially British TV shows. It’s quite funny you know to take something tongue-and-cheek and to turn it into a collection of jewelry.
A victim at Stephen Webster's Murder Mystery Party. Photo: Jonathon Zizzo
Last night was my third Murder Mystery Party and I have sort of perfected my role. Everybody gets into it, I sort of sit down beforehand and say you’re going to be a red herring and you’re going to be the murderess. I tell the models when they get arrested by the cop to protest their innocence a bit. And they get right into it – they’re brilliant!
NM: Why host such an elaborate evening?
SW: If I am invited to one more thing where there would just be a glass of champagne and a showing of the collection, I wouldn’t go… and people don’t go. So you have you try and give people an experience.
NM: In this collection you feature new stone combinations that really pop like striking green emeralds, deep blue sapphires and pink rubelites set against dark and delicate black diamond pave. What is your favorite stone in this collection?
SW: The African rubies that I have got. This stone I used to use a lot, but then you couldn’t buy it anywhere. Then one day my brother comes to my place and he has a 700-carat cut of one… So I started cutting it from this big stone and that is that right here. [Holds up bright pink spider web-esque earrings.]
NM: All of your pieces seem to tell stories that encompass a larger plot. What tales have translated into previous collections?
SW: Last year we did another legend, the Seven Deadly Sins. If you really think about it, it’s punishable in hell for being glutonous. Well then you think that’s quite funny as well, and of course people see the funny side in that.
Webster's Pride ring from the Seven Deadly Sins collection
NM: In some of your earlier work you see a lot of ocean motifs, what significance is behind those?
SW: I think that is a very selfish thing. [A shellfish thing?] I have a house by the sea and I love all of the things that come out of the sea. They are all a bit weird. You know? The creatures, the crabs, the shrimp, they are all strange! That crab for two years running was our biggest selling ring and it’s $18,000.
Stephen Webster Shrimp Brooch
NM: You have an expansive men’s line and you are wearing one of your bracelets and rings today. For a guy who might be hesitant to wear jewelry, what would be a starter piece?
SW: It’s funny because men will look at me and they think, OK, he wears what he wears and it looks like he is comfortable with it. If you have a look that is done to the nines, most guys look at that and they say “that is not for me.” Also, guys like to feel connected. They want to feel like they’re your mate, like “Oh yeah, I get all of my jewelry from Stephen Webster.”
Stephen Webster
Stephen Webster wearing his own designs
Shop Stephen Webster at NeimanMarcus.com and Neiman Marcus stores. Earn InCircle bonus points during the Be Jeweled Event!
