When you hear the name Rosie Fortescue, you may immediately envision Made in Chelsea’s charming fashionista strolling along the streets of South Kensington, brunching with a gaggle of equally stylish friends. Others may recognise Rosie for her successful fashion blog, At Fashion Forte, which has catapulted her into becoming one of the UK’s top fashion influencers. And while Rosie’s effortless charm, inimitable style, and undeniable Made-For-TV charisma has made her a household name; what most people don’t know is that Rosie Fortescue, is that she’s also a Girl Boss through and through.

We catch up with Rosie, and chat about her business/passion project – Rosie Fortescue Jewellery. Here at House of Coco, we’re all big fans of her fabulous stacking rings delicate chain necklaces. We talk about the challenges of starting your own brand, as well as all the rewards that come from a long day spent hustling so you can do what you love. Finally, we catch up with Rosie and she embarks on a special project with Huawei P20 Pro,the Spark a Renaissance Photo Competition. A competition that aims to find the next generation of creative talent across Europe, and according to Rosie, one that aims to spark an “inspiration revival”.

From Made-in-Chelsea star to top fashion influencer, and now jewellery designer — what’s a day in the life for Rosie Fortescue?
Every day is totally different which I love. I’m either in my office, in meetings, designing jewellery at home, or posting jewellery in the post office — yes I still do all the fulfilment myself!

How would you define your style? What are three things in your closet you can’t live without?
My style is comfortable, but fairly classic and definitely with some statement pieces. I always finalise every outfit with jewellery. It’s definitely the finishing touch to any ensemble, and with it, I feel most confident.

Here at House of Coco, we’re all about Girl Bosses like yourself. How do you manage all your different projects and still live a well-balanced life?
I absolutely love working hard and I love what I do; so if I have to stay up working until 2am, I will! I’m 28, so I see these years as the ones to work my ass off and establish my brand. Hopefully, I will be able to employ someone soon to take off a bit of the workload; so I can focus more on the design and creativity aspect of running a business. However, right now I’m just loving the journey. I am super organised so am just about managing to get everything done, with some late nights along the way!

What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to face as a GirlBoss?
To trust my instincts. Because it’s just me in my company, I sometimes need to bounce some ideas off people. I luckily have very creative and inspiring friends, so it’s great to get other peoples’ thoughts on my ideas from time to time!
 
At House of Coco HQ, we’re all huge fans of Rosie Fortescue Jewellery. Where do you usually get the inspiration for your designs? Do you have a favourite piece? 
Thank you! I can be inspired by anything really. I always keep my eyes open, and a long stream of notes of my phone. The colour of a front door can inspire me for a stone colour, architecture is also a big source of inspiration. Whenever I’m away, I really make sure to take in my surroundings and make the most of every opportunity!

To top it all off, you’re also working with Huawei P20 Pro’s Spark a Renaissance Challenge. Could you tell us a little bit more about this collaboration?
The Huawei Spark A Renaissance Photo Competition is the world’s first ever photography competition judged by both Artificial Intelligence (AI) and a Leica photographer. It’s really amazing what technology can do today! For this competition, Huawei’s P20 Pro smartphone’s AI will judge the photography submissions for a chance to win a Leica masterclass in Florence and one in 50 Huawei P20 Pros.

A photo competition has never been judged in this way before so I’m really excited to be working with Huawei on it. As modern creative myself, it’s great to be a part of an initiative that brings together art and science so seamlessly.

How is the Spark A Renaissance Challenge helping promote the next generation of creative talent across Europe?
The competition is part of a wider series of challenges from Huawei over the last few months. All of which have been aimed at unearthing the next generation of creative talent across Europe, and showcasing their potential to the world. Just as the Renaissance period was fuelled by the coming together of science and art, this campaign is doing the same by judging the participants with a combination of AI and the expertise of a panel of experienced artists. It’s an exciting project to be involved in and I’m looking forward to seeing the winning images!

In your opinion, how do you think our readers can “spark a renaissance” in their own lives?
I see it as an inspiration revival. I think that with everyone’s busy schedules these days, doing something for yourself that inspires you or makes you feel good is definitely key.

What’s next for Rosie Fortescue?
I have a few projects in the pipeline that I can’t talk about yet, but I am designing my new collection now. Really into body chains and stars at the moment so watch this space!

Here’s a few of Team Coco’s favourite pieces from Rosie’s latest collection…

Rosie Fortescue Jewellery
Rosie Fortescue spoke to House of Coco in partnership with Huawei for the ‘Spark A Renaissance’ challenge. To find out more, visit huawei.com

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