Toby Vernon’s signature aesthetic came about almost by mistake, after his sister bought him jewellery-making tools for his 23rd birthday. “In hindsight, being self-taught really helped me,” Vernon tells Broadsheet. “I didn’t know how to high polish. You could see the process and my fingerprints all over the silver. My look came about naturally; it had a rawness to it.” After months of experimenting with wax and metals, The Ouze was born: a British brand making slow, considered jewellery using recycled materials and ethically sourced stones.
It was that distinct rawness – which is achieved using gems cut almost straight from the earth, subtly textural finishes and visible craftsmanship – that caught the eye of Sarah Mower, the British Fashion Council’s ambassador and the chair of its New Gen committee, who selected The Ouze for a NewGen award (previous recipients include Alexander McQueen and JW Anderson). “I didn’t apply at first, because NewGen doesn’t traditionally include jewellery,” says Vernon. He will be joining fashion labels like Charlie Constantinou, Johanna Parv and Tolu Coker as part of the 2025 cohort.
Designs are elevated but playful: pendants scattered with white and blue sapphires, chunky hallmarked hairclips, statement gold signets set with antique old-cut diamonds, with visual references spanning the arts and crafts movement, Paris flea market finds and traditional Victorian jewels. They’re also unisex; Vernon describes The Ouze as filling the gap between more conventional shiny styles of men’s jewellery and dainty, colourful women’s pieces.
“This [latest] season feels a lot more feminine,” Vernon says. “I think it’s because my own style has changed. I feel more confident wearing a massive diamond, for example.”
The brand is named after the River Ouse, which runs through Lewes, where Vernon lived when he founded the brand in 2021. Not long after launching, his pieces were stocked by Net-a-Porter. The Ouze then moved into a studio in Brighton, sharing a space with 15 other makers, including glassblowers, taxidermists and violin makers. “It looks very messy,” he says. “There’s wax and silver scraps everywhere, but we know where every loose gem is.”
Fast forward to 2025 and The Ouze joined forces with Liberty for its 150th anniversary, designing an exclusive collection using the store’s famed hallmark and drawing inspiration from the building itself. And, this September, ahead of London Fashion Week, he relocated to a studio in London.
Celebrating imperfections and keeping craftsmanship front and centre grounds the brand. Some of Vernon’s favourite pieces have been bespoke commissions, including an engagement ring made using heirloom diamonds from a grandmother’s brooch. “We wanted to use them, but it didn’t feel right having them on the outside,” he says. “So we put them on the inside band, and it felt even more intimate having them hidden, but knowing they were there.”
Recently at London Fashion Week Vernon presented brand-new pieces and a physical installation in collaboration with NewGen. “Fashion week is an introduction to a massive new audience,” he says. “So I want to make it feel as authentic as possible.”
The Ouze is stocked at Tomfoolery, the Victoria & Albert Museum shop and Harrods.
