GRGU started in 2017 as a passion project to design, create and make. The brand GRGU, takes the first two letters of Gracie and Guan, respectively and is an exploration of my tinkering desire to pursue my creativity by exploring design avenues such as branding, marketing, manufacturing and packaging. At the time I wanted to create something for myself and in 2017 that came to fruition in the form of minimal modern jewellery.

The Originals

The first collection, The Originals was an early explorations into organic minimal shapes and contours. I studied materiality and digital design by prototyping numerous iterations and testing comfortability and aesthetics. I explored branding design with GRGU and created marketing material and packaging that suited the collection. A personal favourite from the series are these large clear acrylic statement drops that refract light as it hits the edges of the curves and understated contours appear in the most subtle and beautiful way. This collection focused on earrings that were designed for those who were after a bold statement earring with a more minimal approach.

The Mad Femme Collection

The second collection, The Mad Femme Collection was a study into gender inequality, sexism and dealing with misogyny. In leading up to this collection I sat in on a panel talk by Manal al-Sharif, Van Badham, Clementine Ford and Barbara Kingsolver. These women talked with so much conviction on the issues of social expectations of women, female oppression and day-to-day sexism. I realised how frustrated I was at all the social expectations of women set by the patriarchy and I wanted women to feel strong and powerful in their own skin. The Mad Femme Collection became a birth of a small run of handmade earrings dedicated to every girl that has been catcalled, told to smile, told to look pretty, told they were not girly enough, not strong enough, not powerful enough. The earrings was a collective stance against inequality and a tool for empowering women, one pair of earrings at a time.

The Bad Femme Collection

The third collection, The Bad Femme Collection, released in late 2018, was an ode to all the women who had found their empowerment, confidence and voice. A homage to strong independent fierce women with earrings like BITE ME and CHERRY BOMB gained traction as popular pieces. This collection of earrings take a more "femme fatale" approach to feminism, focusing on the language of self-sufficient alpha women. Historically, femme fatale women have been portrayed as dangerous power-driven enemies to men, whom only use seduction to achieve their desires. However the modern woman today is intrinsically more in tune with their sexuality and are unapologetic in their confidence and desires. The Bad Femme Collection is a nod to those women who are relentless, loud, passionate and destructive in not taking anything less and knowing her power and her worth in today's society.