A handmade jewellery brand founded by a former NHS nurse and her marketing executive daughter has secured a coveted slot at John Lewis Newcastle, less than a year after going live.

When Karen Jones and her daughter Emma Lindsay launched NinetyOne Jewellery from a studio in North Yorkshire last autumn, neither expected to be unpacking stock at a John Lewis flagship store within six months. Yet, from 1 to 7 June, the pair will host a week-long pop-up at the retailer's Newcastle store — a milestone that many independent brands spend years working towards.

Their route there is the kind of second-act story that has become increasingly familiar across the North: two women walking away from established careers to build something on their own terms. Karen, based in Stokesley, in her 60s, recently stepped back from a long career in nursing to commit to the business full time. Emma, who lives in York, left behind marketing and sustainability roles with global brands — and a punishing London commute — to do the same.

"We reached a point where we realised we wanted something different from life," Emma says. "We wanted to build something together that gave us more freedom, creativity and purpose, rather than following the traditional path we'd always expected to take."
Jewellery-making, it turns out, was the obvious common ground.

Mother and daughter had made pieces together when Emma was a child, and the new venture has returned them to that shared workbench. NinetyOne's contemporary collections – built around wearable colour palettes, personal styling and small-batch production – are designed and assembled by hand at the family's North Yorkshire studio, with the pair splitting their time between York and Stokesley.

The John Lewis booking came via Pop-up Indie, a Harrogate-based agency that places small brands inside major retailers. NinetyOne was selected from several hundred applicants. The Newcastle residency will feature personalised engraving, complimentary styling appointments, exclusive product launches and giveaways — a deliberately experiential offering that mirrors the brand's online positioning around thoughtful, personal shopping.

Emma is quick to credit Yorkshire's independent business infrastructure for the rapid trajectory. She is a member at Patch, the York coworking and creative workspace that has hosted the brand's first professional product and model shoots, and the duo have drawn on support from the York & North Yorkshire Growth Hub, Enterprise Cube and, most recently, the NatWest Accelerator programme in York.

"The support we've had across Yorkshire has been incredible," she says. "There's such a strong independent business community here, especially in York and North Yorkshire. It's made a huge difference being surrounded by people who genuinely want to support local businesses to grow."

With the Newcastle pop-up confirmed, NinetyOne is now talking to independent retailers across Yorkshire and the North East about stockist partnerships. "We'd love to work with more independent shops and lifestyle stores locally," Emma says. "We've built NinetyOne around the idea of creating the life you want, and we really want to champion that and grow alongside other businesses in the region."

The timing is propitious. Fashion accessories and personal styling are enjoying a renewed cultural moment, helped along by the buzz surrounding the release of The Devil Wears Prada 2. For a brand built around elevated everyday pieces — and the unapologetic pursuit of a different kind of working life — it is a wave worth catching.



For more information visit www.ninetyonejewellery.co.uk or follow @ninetyonejewellery on Instagram.