Qike Qilo: Revering Nature, Exploring Sustainable Fashion in the Beauty of Water’s Flow
Jewellery, with its precious materials and unique designs, has become an essential soul piece for modern women, helping them adorn themselves and shape their personal style.
Unlike affordable fashion accessories, high-quality jewellery not only features exquisite details and durable precious metals, but the thoughtful craftsmanship also ensures that it maintains a distinctive style amid everchanging trends, remaining at the forefront of fashion. However, the high prices that often accompany luxurious jewellery can deter many young fashion enthusiasts. The emergence of the jewellery brand Qike Qilo may well be changing this reality, offering a fresh approach that combines sophistication with accessibility
Qike Qilo is a jewellery brand founded by designer Lei Qin in the UK, with a core philosophy centred on natural beauty and sustainable design. The brand aims to make high-quality jewellery accessible to every young woman. As a rising star in the jewellery design world, Lei Qin has quickly garnered widespread attention since the brand’s inception. Her work won the Gold Award for Jewellery Design in the Fashion Design category at the French Fashion Awards and made its debut at both the Spring/Summer 2025 New York Fashion Week and London Fashion Week this September. For a brand so new, such impressive achievements on its first outing are truly remarkable. This season, Qike Qilo presents its debut jewellery collection, Aqua Waves. Drawing inspiration from the fluid beauty of water, designer Lei Qin captures the delicate, dynamic nature of water’s flow, transforming it into fashion-forward, captivating jewellery pieces. Each item, whether adorning the ears, neck, or fingers, glimmers with the shimmer of rippling waves, accompanying every movement and highlighting the wearer’s graceful, water-like elegance.
Aqua Waves consists of four jewellery pieces: the Cascade earrings, Tide necklace, Ripple bracelet, and Wave ring, each depicting a different form of flowing water. Through unique design details, Lei Qin conveys her respect for nature and pays tribute to the beauty of its natural flow.
The Cascade earrings use elegant curves and smooth lines to simulate the flow of water, capturing the natural movement of a waterfall. The subtle gaps within the earrings create a sense of breathability, emphasising the lightness and transparency of flowing water. Inspired by the ebb and flow of tides, the Tide necklace mimics the dynamic shapes formed by surging waters, with its circular design resembling a tidal pool, symbolising the cyclical nature of the tide and showcasing the rhythm of nature. The Ripple bracelet draws inspiration from the gentle ripples caused by a breeze across the water’s surface. Its layered, undulating effect represents the subtle changes in nature and the flow of life. Lastly, the Wave ring ingeniously captures the form of water’s undulation, as if a gentle ripple is frozen in time. Though the Aqua Waves collection comprises only four pieces, each one beautifully interprets and expresses the designer’s understanding of the beauty in the flow of water, and together they form a highly cohesive narrative, perfectly embodying the theme of the season.
A standout feature of the Aqua Waves collection is its use of eco-friendly materials. The jewellery is crafted from 18K recycled gold, a material that embodies sustainability and luxury. The concept of recycled gold was first prominently introduced by Prada in 2022 with their “Eternal Gold” high jewellery collection, which, despite its environmental focus, still carried a hefty price tag that many found unaffordable. In contrast, Qike Qilo offers a more accessible price point, making it a true champion of affordable, eco-conscious luxury. Recycled gold used in this collection is sourced from industrial gold, electronic components, and recovered precious metals, seamlessly blending environmental responsibility with elegance. Additionally, the collection incorporates non-toxic enamel, enhancing its pieces with intricate and captivating details. As Qike Qilo’s debut jewellery series, Aqua Waves not only marks designer Lei Qin’s significant exploration of sustainable fashion but also positions Qike Qilo as a leading force in the jewellery industry, steering it toward a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future.
A standout feature of the Aqua Waves collection is its use of eco-friendly materials. The jewellery is crafted from 18K recycled gold, a material that embodies sustainability and luxury. The concept of recycled gold was first prominently introduced by Prada in 2022 with their “Eternal Gold” high jewellery collection, which, despite its environmental focus, still carried a hefty price tag that many found unaffordable. In contrast, Qike Qilo offers a more accessible price point, making it a true champion of affordable, eco-conscious luxury. Recycled gold used in this collection is sourced from industrial gold, electronic components, and recovered precious metals, seamlessly blending environmental responsibility with elegance. Additionally, the collection incorporates non-toxic enamel, enhancing its pieces with intricate and captivating details. As Qike Qilo’s debut jewellery series, Aqua Waves not only marks designer Lei Qin’s significant exploration of sustainable fashion but also positions Qike Qilo as a leading force in the jewellery industry, steering it toward a more environmentally responsible and sustainable future.
Moreover, the theme of water as inspiration for jewellery design is not new to the market. For instance, French high jewellery house Boucheron recently launched their “Carte Blanche, Or Bleu” collection, also centred around the theme of water. Their bold innovations with materials and forms —such as exaggerated wave necklaces, splashy shoulder pieces, and bracelets with black sand textures—left a strong impression. While Qike Qilo’s debut collection has certainly made an impressive mark, there is still room for growth. The brand could draw inspiration from more established jewellery houses, incorporating bolder, avant-garde design elements to express the theme with greater visual impact. Additionally, incorporating more innovative recycled materials could further align with the brand’s environmental ethos, adding creativity and new possibilities to jewellery design.
Overall, Qike Qilo’s debut collection shining on the international stage is undoubtedly the strongest recognition of Lei Qin and her brand. The brand’s captivating origin story and noble environmental philosophy have left a lasting impression on us, making this emerging jewelry brand unforgettable. As a designer with a background as a stylist for top fashion magazines, Lei Qin naturally possesses exceptional aesthetic sensibility. Moving forward, with the development of the brand, we believe that as long as designer Lei Qin stays true to herself, continues to champion the brand’s core principles, and strikes an even more refined balance within her fusion of Eastern and Western design styles, she will create even more distinctive and signature works. We eagerly anticipate what the future holds!
