Rebecca Manners, jewellery designer and founder of Bex Rox in her studio in west London. Matt Crossick

I love to travel. I bought this tribal Laotian jacket on another inspirational trip. Matt Crossick

I collect butterflies and this one inspired my Autumn/Winter 2011-2012 Collection. Matt Crossick

Untitled scent by Maison Martin Margiela is the fragrance I can't get enough of. Matt Crossick

Cheese is my guiltiest pleasure. Once I start I can't stop. iStockphoto.com

The last thing I bought and loved was a beautiful carpet from Morocco. Courtesy Bex Rox

This is an original Berber necklace I bought on a recent trip to Morocco. I love the textures of the amber mixed with the coloured stones and shells. Matt Crossick

My favourite music is by DJ Nicolas Jaar. I love the way he experiments with sound. Pascal Montary

Style file: Rebecca Manners

Jemma Nicholls

Rebecca Manners always knew she was destined to be a jewellery designer. "I have always been a magpie for beautiful things and used to sneak into my mother's room and play dress-up with all her jewels when I was a toddler," she says. Her jewellery line, Bex Rox, is sold in 19 countries including the UAE. Manners was born and raised on Spain's Balearic Islands and after a few years travelling the globe, she settled in New York working as a stylist assistant for the likes of French Vogue, Calvin Klein and W magazine. This experience gave her the inspiration to establish her own line. "I was always making last-minute accessories for shoots that were then snapped up by a concept store downtown and sold out within two weeks. That was my calling," she says. Since then Manners has won many accolades for her craft including the 2009 Coutts New Jewellers Award and has collaborated on several philanthropic ventures. "Ethical and fair trade is very important to me," she says. "When visiting different countries, I look at colours and old traditional techniques, all of which I transform into a mood board. These days so many old techniques are being lost due to globalisation; hence keeping that history alive is something I aspire to do." Using a wide variety of materials in her designs such as brass, suede, rope and precious metals, Manners knows how a woman should stock her jewellery box. "Every woman should have a fine charm necklace as it's a piece that will carry through time," she says. She talks to Jemma Nicholls about her art and inspirations.

REBECCA'S WORLD

BEING STYLISH MEANS... being comfortable with yourself. THE AMBITION I STILL HAVE IS... to build Bex Rox into a legacy. I am going to expand into all accessories for men and women with bags, shoes, eye wear and more. THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE I'VE EVER EVER BEEN GIVEN IS... be positive, work hard and push your boundaries every day. FIVE WORDS TO DESCRIBE ME ARE... stubborn, passionate, high-voltage, aware, sensual. WHAT DRIVES ME ON IS... creating a unique piece of jewellery that captures my customers' attention and which they wear with pride. I GET MY INSPIRATION FROM... culture, travel and friends. When I travel I'm like a sponge and love researching different cultures' artisans, the techniques they use and the symbolisms.

www.bexrox.com