Launching a Jewellery Line on a £175 Photoshoot Budget - Is it even possible?

Bethany Sharp
Apr 12
3 min read

Let's dive deep into how Lark Peach set up her own jewellery brand from scratch.

Lark Peach's jewellery brand is a love letter to vintage fashion, born from a personal collection of unique pieces and a desire to share their timeless appeal. In this article, we dive deep into Lark's creative process, exploring how she translated her passion for 80s statement jewellery into a modern brand. Discover how she navigated the challenges of launching her own business, from the initial spark of an idea to the thrill of a successful launch, all while staying true to her distinctive aesthetic.

Lark, the founder of Ersatz, is seated on a dark-colored couch in a room with a high ceiling and walls covered with framed artwork. She is wearing a light-colored fur coat and jeans. The room has a grand, traditional interior with a table and decorative objects in the background. The image is in grayscale.

My name is Lark Peach and I am the newly launched founder of Ersatz—your brand new favourite jewellery brand.

Ersatz has been an idea floating in my head for years. I’ve always had a deep love for vintage fashion and over time, I began collecting unique pieces of vintage jewellery. People would constantly compliment the pieces I was wearing, and one day it just clicked—why not design something similar and turn it into a brand?

My background is in marketing, and I’ve worked for a handful of fashion brands over the years. If you’ve ever worked in a small fashion team, you’ll know that you end up doing a bit of everything. You can be fetching coffee one minute and delivering samples to a stylist across town the next. That kind of hands-on experience gave me a great foundation, and I ended up using all of it to bring Ersatz to life—from designing the branding and building the website to planning and producing the photoshoot.

The first step was designing the jewellery. Once I had the final pieces in hand, I organised a shoot to capture Ersatz’s aesthetic. I roped in a few friends to model, alongside a professional model, and styled them using my own collection of vintage clothing. One standout piece was a genuine Yves Saint Laurent haute couture dress from the Autumn/Winter 1985 collection, which I found in a charity shop for just £20. Ersatz is inspired by bold, statement jewellery from the 1980s, and I really wanted that energy to come through in the visuals.

Despite the shoot looking polished, the total cost was only £175, with most of that going towards hiring the studio space and model. I edited the photos myself, keeping the retouching minimal. I love showing real skin and natural imperfections.

A close-up portrait of Lark with blonde, shoulder-length hair and light-colored eyes. She has a natural makeup look, with rosy cheeks and glossy lips. She is wearing a white collared shirt. The background shows a room with framed pictures on the wall and a shelf with records or books.

The reaction to Ersatz has been amazing so far. People seem to really connect with the bold aesthetic and vintage-inspired style. 80s fashion is having a moment right now, but it’s funny because I’ve had this vision in my head for at least four years! Once I had the imagery locked in, I moved on to the website. I’d used Shopify before and was mostly self-taught through YouTube tutorials, though I have to admit, AI came in handy this time to speed things up and refine the design.

Honestly, it hasn’t felt overwhelming. I had such a strong, clear vision from the start. I truly believe that if you’ve got an idea that won’t leave you alone, it’s worth exploring. The amount of knowledge you can gain online now is incredible. Even if you’ve never done something before, you can pick it up fast. Learning one new skill gives you the confidence to try the next. Working in small teams over the years taught me that lesson well.

A close-up portrait of a woman with blonde, layered hair styled with volume. She has blue eyeshadow, rosy cheeks, and a matte pink lip. She is wearing gold textured earrings and a black velvet top. The background is a plain, light color.

I officially launched Ersatz a few weeks ago, and the response has already been better than I could’ve hoped. I’m currently in talks with a few stockists, which is super exciting. You can explore the collection at ersatzbijoux.co.uk and follow along on Instagram and TikTok at @ersatzbijoux.

The launch has felt like a whirlwind in the best way. It’s been so rewarding to see something that lived in my mind for years finally out in the world—and being loved by other people. I’m excited to keep building on this and see where the adventure takes me next.

Lark Peach represents a new wave of independent designers who are leveraging online resources and a DIY ethos to carve out their own space in the fashion world. Her ability to create a cohesive brand aesthetic and execute a professional photoshoot on a limited budget showcases the changing landscape of the industry. As technology continues to rapidly change the creative process, stories like Lark's pave the way for a more diverse and accessible future for fashion entrepreneurs.