Steff Eleoff; The Sculptural Silversmith Takes Soho

As we come up to the first floor of a Soho townhouse, we’re struck by the pristine nature of the Greek St venue. Greeted by a melodic canadian accent ushering us in we meet Steff, flanked by an all-women PR team, meticulously orchestrating the day’s proceedings. Steff Eleoff is hosting her first London pop-up, as part of London Fashion Week. With an unflinchingly warm disposition, the kind that can only come from across the Atlantic, she makes a point of greeting each of her first visitors as we enter the space. ‘I love your eye makeup - and we have matching outfits!’, in the year of the Barbie movie, Steff Eleoff is unabashedly a girl’s girl.

Eleoff is a Toronto-based jewellery designer and artist whose practice has crossed disciplines from fine art to the organically architectural shapes she devotes her jewellery-making to today. Crouched by a sleek black coffee table, we talk about the inspiration behind her work and what led to the delightful, unctuous shapes of her silversmithing.

Originally a sculptor, Steff’s artistic practice was, like most, interrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic. The pandemic put a sudden interruption to her Fine Art studies in New York and, as a result, the artist found her way back to her hometown of Toronto. Once there, she found herself hunting down and reworking vintage jewellery pieces, reinventing them into statement forms. Eventually, Eleoff pivoted to working with silver and has since devoted herself to handcrafting each of her pieces, from the organic halo of the Squiggle ring to the softly anatomical shape of the Elixir Heart necklace.

Now, with the brand featured on the likes of Kylie Jenner, Halle Bailey and Doja Cat, Steff is taking it trans-Atlantic - with her roots firmly intact. As the brand’s impact continues to grow, the designer credits her exposure to the arts and a deep appreciation for nature as underpinnings of her practice. Looking at her collection, this influence is easy to spot. The gentle yet dramatic undulations of the Drip bangle feel resolutely liquid, weightless. In turn, her Say My Name letter pendants carefully adorn the delicate branches of a towering ponytail palm - a soft reference to the natural forms she translates into her work.

In the midst of the Fashion Week chaos, Steff and her team have crafted a cool, relaxed atmosphere within the pop-up. While London’s traditional fashion institutions have rightly turned the spotlight on the city’s exciting up-and-coming talent, Eleoff is a bold and chromatic reminder of London’s other status - as a hub for international talent. One to watch.