Our Editor Catches Up With SARAH & SEBASTIAN Co-Founder Sarah Gittoes
In conversation
By Kiri Johnston | 2nd September 2025One year after their last chat, Style Magazines editor Kiri Johnston sat down with Sarah Gittoes, co-founder and creative director of SARAH & SEBASTIAN, to talk about the year that’s been – personally and professionally – and what lies ahead for the beloved fine jewellery brand.
Since our last chat a year ago, how have you personally evolved as a creative director and co-founder?
This past year has been about sharpening focus. As we’ve grown, I’ve found more ways to use the brand as a platform for meaningful change, especially in environmental advocacy. Creativity has always been at the heart of what we do, but I’m now more intentional about channelling that into impact. Whether it’s through storytelling, design or partnerships, I see my role evolving into one that brings together aesthetics, ethics and action.
What has surprised you most about leading SARAH & SEBASTIAN through such a big period of growth?
Honestly, I expected we’d have to make more compromises. That scale would mean softening certain parts of our identity to keep up. But the opposite happened. Growth has actually sharpened our sense of who we are and our core values as a brand, a team, and a community. That’s been the real surprise and the most rewarding part.
The brand recently underwent a rebrand — what was the driving force behind this shift, and how does it reflect where you’re headed?
The rebrand was less about reinvention and more about returning to our essence. We wanted to create a visual and verbal language that reflects our transition into 18-karat fine jewellery and a more conceptual, elevated studio. It’s about meeting the expectations of a global audience while embracing our Australian identity and thoughtful design-led approach.
With the brand expanding and now with stores in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, and Perth, how do you balance maintaining SARAH & SEBASTIAN’s DNA while tailoring to each city?
We design each store in response to its surroundings. The local landscape, the architecture, and the pace of the community all influence how the space takes shape. At the same time, our DNA stays consistent. Every location carries our design language, our values, and the experiences that define us: bridal and engagement, soldered permanent jewellery and Ear Alchemy luxury piercing. Whether you’re in Perth or Paddington, you’ll feel these threads running through every detail.
How do you envision the retail experience evolving in your new locations?
It’s becoming more personalised. Clients want meaningful experiences, not just to shop, but to connect. We’re building more immersive, sensorial environments that invite clients to pause, to be fitted for a soldered bracelet, to experience the care of an Ear Spa, or to mark a new life chapter through bridal consultations.
Jewellery is often about storytelling — what stories do you want the next chapter of SARAH & SEBASTIAN to tell?
Stories of the sea, sentimentality and craft.
Sustainability has always been a part of your ethos. How are you pushing that conversation forward as the brand scales?
As a recreational diver and passionate advocate for the ocean, marine conservation has become deeply woven into our brand values. It’s something our team and community genuinely care about, and they’re actively involved in driving change. The Xanthe Project, which we founded as a philanthropic initiative, continues to be our north star, supporting conservation efforts and using creativity and activism to raise awareness. We’re also committed to transparency and ethical sourcing, and inviting our clients to be part of that conversation through our annual impact report.
From the beginning, we’ve invested in establishing a responsible supply chain. For our latest bridal and milestone collection, Marine, we’ve used Australian sapphires that we’ve proudly followed from their source in Queensland all the way through to the cutting process, and finally being handcrafted in our Sydney studio.
Can you share a glimpse of what’s next — any upcoming collections, collaborations, or concepts that excite you?
Our Ondine collection has just launched. It brings together technical craftsmanship and artistry, while drawing inspiration from the ocean and, for the first time, incorporating science into the creative process. The collection features delicate mesh forms threaded with natural diamonds, designed to move with the body and capture the fluidity of fabric. As part of The Xanthe Project, soon we’ll join our charity partner Australian Marine Conservation Society (AMCS) to present our combined petitions to the Federal Minister for the Environment, calling for stronger nature laws to protect Australia’s oceans. If you haven’t already, we’d love for you to add your voice to this petition!
If you could describe the future of SARAH & SEBASTIAN in three words, what would they be?
Intentional. Transformative. Iconic.
