Spring Showcase 2025- An interview with Guest Designer Rosita Bonita

We hope you have been able to pop by the shop to see our current Spring Showcase, featuring the work of three talented designers, Rosita Bonita, Sally Collins and Emily Kidson. If not, there is still time to visit before the showcase finishes at the end of this month.

As part of our showcases, we love to take the opportunity to ask our guest designers a series of questions, to give us an insight in to their work, their inspirations, their materials and their day to day life. Starting off this year’s Spring Showcase interviews is Rowenna of Rosita Bonita…enjoy!

Rosita Bonita

1- Please could you give us a brief introduction to your work and who you are? (Where are you based, inspirations, fun facts)

I started Rosita Bonita in 2010, making illustrative printed leather jewellery, and that is what I am mostly known for. Actually the first leather accessories I made to sell, just before my first proper collection of printed designs, were sequinned leather pasties, followed by some brooch versions.

I needed a name, and didn’t want to just use my own, but wanted something not too far removed (my name is Rowenna, but have always just been called Ro). I had a vision of a glamorous 50s Mexican burlesque performer, and Rosita Bonita just popped in to my head, and out into the world.

I’ve considered changing it, but after 15 years it would feel like changing my own name, which would feel really forced & awkward.

I started introducing metal pieces back in 2016, and that is now fully where my focus lies. I’ve always loved getting my hands on new materials & tools, and seeing what I can do with them – especially in ways that don’t seem to have been fully explored by others.

My latest pieces also use the flat surface of natural material as a blank canvas for my drawings, but this time it’s mother of pearl.

I guess I’m mostly inspired by ecsapism and dreaming. Thematically I have explored amulets, superstition and folklore (often related to animals & mythical beasts), and other icons of pop culture. I’ve taken visual inspiration from vintage graphic design, golden age silver screen glamour, Art Deco, and midcentury Tropical Deco & Hollywood Regency style architecture & interiors.

I aspire to emulate the sleek, elegant and minimal design work of Art Deco & Japanese aesthetics, but am a bit of a hoarder & maximalist, so everything gets thrown in the pot.

I am based in Margate, where I’ve been for almost 9 years. Since being here I have spent a lot of time renovating my house, which, whilst being a distraction from making new jewellery collections for a few years, has allowed me to fully indulge my design fantasies on to a whole new three dimensional space, and to work with more new materials, techniques and construction approaches, which have in turn influenced ideas my jewellery work.

2 – What led you to become a jeweller and how did you train/ learn your skills?

I studied illustration, but didn’t like being at the mercy of waiting to be commissioned for jobs, so decided to be pro-active & print my drawings on to something to sell directly. It all went from there.

When I wanted to introduce some metal components I did a 6 week part-time short course in silversmithing, and since then I have just relied on YouTube, tips from jeweller friends & experimentation to develop my skills.

3 – What inspired you to use different materials alongside precious metals in your jewellery collections?

With my leather work, it was really a case of using what I had laying around at home. I didn’t really plan to be doing it for 15 years!

Along the way I’ve made wax carvings to cast in Resin, made vegan-friendly versions of my leather designs in bamboo & wood pulp, and the metal pieces in brass, to keep in line with the price bracket of my leather work.

I’ve arrived at working in precious metals & gemstones on the other side of all that!

I introduced mother of pearl to my work last year, as I was exploring ways to continue the thread of illustration in to my fine jewellery & thought it would make the perfect canvas. I also liked that it was something that wasn’t commonly used in that way, and wanted to just have a play & see what I could do with it.

I really want to explore stone carving next!

4 – We love to hear about people’s workspaces- please could you describe where you work?

I work out of a lovely sunny room with a big shuttered bay window, in an odd little building shared with other small businesses.

There is quite a range of other stuff going on in the building, but most are creative, and the best bit is my best friend, fellow jeweller Rebecca Gladstone, is right next door.

On sunny days it really is magical. There is quite a sizeable population of green Indian ring-neck parrakeets on the loose in Margate, and they’ll often gather and frollick around in gangs.

I see/hear them around my house, and even more so out of my window at the studio. I’ve been obsessed with them ever since I moved here, and desperate to do a collection around them, just as soon as I have mastered gemstone carving, which might be a way off!

The studio is a few minutes walk from the beach. I can see the sea as I cycle down the road every morning, and at the height of summer I go for swim-breaks in the tidal pool. I feel very lucky to be here.

Because I work with so many different materials & techniques, my studio has a lot going on in it! I have 5 different desks/benches: one for silk-screen printing & hot foil embossing, a small one with a lapidary cutting wheel, my soldering & polishing station, one with my laser-engraver, where I also do my stone setting & resin casting, and my main desk where I do everything else.

5 – What are the areas of your business that you enjoy the most?

Working on new designs, researching & developing new techniques is by far the best bit. Most of my time though is spent making the same things on repeat, and then of course all the other less fun jobs any business owner has to do.

6 – What does a usual work day look like for you? (Do you work full- time/ part-time, how do you balance your week?)

I am pretty nocturnal. I don’t usually go in to the studio until around 11, and can be there till anywhere from 7 till midnight. I feel I can focus way better in the quiet of the evening, and get a lot more done. I’m not great with self-imposed schedules.

I rarely set an alarm, and let myself sleep as much as I can, as I’m way less productive when I’m too tired (and in all likeliness have been up working very late!).

If I’m going to have a couple of hours off in the day I would rather do that in the morning sunshine, so I can enjoy being home; having a nice breakfast with my boyfriend & two perfect cats, doing little bits of life/house stuff or meeting a friend for a coffee or something.

I do all my admin & other computer work at home, mostly in the evenings or mornings. I have a little desk in the corner of the living room.

7 – As we go in to the new season and have a little bit more sunshine, what are you looking forward to most in Spring?

EVERYTHING! I really struggle with winter, so I am super happy for everything that spring brings.

Thank you Rowenna for taking the time to answer all of our questions. Rowenna’s work is currently on display in the shop so please pop in to see the full collection of Rosita Bonita and a selection in our online shop.