There’s something quietly whimsical about New York designer Presley Oldham’s jewellery: pieces that feel both earthy and elegant, balancing refinement with an easy, lived-in charm. Described as “charmingly off-kilter,” his designs often look as if they could have been unearthed from a forest floor or plucked from an antiques collection, then reimagined with a playful, contemporary twist.
Creativity has always been in his blood: having originally trained as an actor and writer and grown up in a family of designers, Presley spent his childhood crafting and experimenting with clothes and jewellery, going on to work in film production in Los Angeles. When the world slowed down during the pandemic, he finally had the space to nurture the passions from his youth into something tangible, launching his namesake line in May 2020.
Since then, Presley has built a body of work that tells a 360-degree story; one that goes far beyond the pieces themselves, which are rooted in intimacy, imagination and a touch of play. In the past, he’s created short films and collaborated on brand imagery with his inner circle; his work serving as an ode to the people who inspire him. Now, he continues to create a stage for his jewellery with each presentation, photoshoot and collection.
Just before the reveal of his SS26 designs at New York Fashion Week, Service95 caught up with the designer to explore the driving force behind his vision, how he’s managed to build his business independently and the advice he’d offer to young creatives navigating the balance between design and entrepreneurship...
TO CREATE AT THE SCALE I WORK, I NEED... Both space and the right environment. My studio is in Upstate New York, so I split my time between Hudson and the city. That way, I wake up surrounded by nature, with fresh air and a very different vibe from New York City, which I also love. I usually start my day around 6am. First, I have my tea with a full lemon every morning, and then I get straight to work. We’re a small team, so I’m across a lot of the press, production, creative direction and programming. Most days I’m in the studio, experimenting with new materials, figuring out designs or managing orders.
I LIKE TO KEEP THE STUDIO... Quiet. There are lots of plants and greenery, you can sense that natural influence from the imagery around my brand. I like being surrounded by flowers and plants. Over my desk I’ve got this huge ivy that drapes down, which I bump my head on all the time – but it’s a nice reminder of life. All four walls are covered in objects, photos and imagery; things from my life, things that inspire me. I pin up a lot, and I’ve found that whatever I most need to see on a given day somehow reveals itself when I look around. The studio is also connected to my house, which keeps things calm and easy. And since all my artisans are freelance, most of the time it’s just me working in the space.
I FIND INSPIRATION AT... The New York Public Library’s image library. It’s one of my favourite places; it’s kind of a hidden gem. It’s just one room on the first floor filled with huge file folders, all categorised by subject. You’ll find something as specific as ‘Indian jewellery from 1890’, or ‘British jewellery from 1950’, or ‘basket weaving’. When I have a spare hour in the city, I’ll go there and just dig through the archives. A lot of the imagery on my walls comes from those visits. There are also film stills, musicians and pieces of art from my family – everyone in my family is an artist. And then there’s ephemera I’ve picked up on my travels. It’s really a hodgepodge. Even my desk is scattered with gemstones and rocks that just live there. But I think that’s part of the fun: it’s this evolving, eclectic mix that keeps me inspired.
HANDCRAFTING IS A BIG PILLAR OF MY BRAND... Everything we produce is made by hand, and we really try to explore different ways and historical perspectives of this. It’s simply something I’m really interested in. Every year, I take a trip to Spain about an hour south of Barcelona and take a basket weaving class – it’s traditional Catalan basketry that is taught by these beautiful artisans who have been creating with their families for hundreds of years. It’s both connected and disconnected from my work in a beautiful way. I always come back feeling really energised and connected to community and craft. It’s a restorative break for me every year. I normally go straight from Fashion Week in September to do that. They’re opposite ends of the spectrum, but that’s the beauty of it.
FOR ME, DESIGN STARTS WITH... Very specific materials. I get most of my inspiration from the materials that I find each season and I generally build my collections around that. My way of sketching is generally just playing with the materials and putting things together, taking them apart, editing the pieces in real time. I sketch on paper sometimes, but for me, I feel it is more productive to be hands-on and to feel and see how these objects fit together. When I started, I was sketching a lot more, but I would find sometimes the materials interact in a different way, or simply the hole is drilled in a bead differently, so [the initial design] just doesn’t work in the way that you want it to.
MY MOST RESTORATIVE PLACE IS... Being among the trees; that silence of leaves blowing in the wind is when I feel the same sense of balance that I try to capture in my work. My mind feels both stimulated and empty, which is rare in New York City. That said, over the past couple of years, it’s been exciting to find more suppliers here, too. I used to travel often to source gemstones in the Southwest or in Asia, but now I’ve been working more with people in the Diamond District and Garment District. Those spaces are incredibly inspiring; often you’re buying stones right where they’re being cut, surrounded by people with such deep craftsmanship. But when I just need a pause, I’ll wander through Central Park. It’s not quite a forest, but it’s the closest you can get to one in the city!
YOUNG DESIGNERS MUST TRUST THEIR VOICE... At the end of the day, that’s all you have. I am really dedicated to the work that I create, and I’m never going to put out something that I don’t like myself. Of course, it gets sticky if you’re working for another brand or something, but this is my brand, my company, my vision – and so, it must be authentic to that. I think that’s an important starting point.
ONE THING I WISH I’D DONE EARLIER IS... ask for help. Over time, I’ve been able to grow the company in thoughtful ways, and I’ve surprised myself with how far it’s come. In the beginning, I was cutting apart pearl strands from flea markets to create new necklaces. I’m still proud of that work, but it meant I could only make two or three of each design, which was very limiting from a business perspective. I had to learn how to take that ethos and evolve it into something scalable and profitable, while keeping it authentic.
ONE THING THAT’S KEY TO GROWING MY BRAND IS... being realistic. I am pushing full steam ahead, but I’m not under the belief that I’m going to be the next Tiffany’s in 2026. That’s unreasonable... Maybe in 20, 30 years! Sure, that’d be wonderful. But I think it’s about being knowing what I can do as an individual, what I can do as a company and as a designer, plus how to employ people who help me create this vision and evolve this brand into an experience as the Presley Oldham world, which is important to me. It needs to feel authentic and visceral in a way.
IT ALWAYS COMES BACK TO AUTHENTICITY... I’ve had to be honest about what I’m good at and where I need support. We need a CFO to take the business further – I’ve grown it to this point, but some steps require outside expertise. Being part of the New York fashion community has been invaluable though; people are generous with advice and support. And honestly, I think a lot of my success comes down to relationships. At the heart of it, I believe in leading with kindness, putting compassion out into the world and receiving it back. It’s not a traditional business strategy, but I believe it’s been the foundation of mine – and I hope it remains that way.
