From gems to living spaces: the couple crafting beauty in work and life

Cushla Whiting and Nicholas Hawker first crossed paths at a mutual friend’s wedding in California in 2016. Both were from Melbourne but he lived in Canada at the time. Thankfully, serendipity got to work and a year or so later Hawker moved home. It was inevitable they would meet again.

“It was a slow burn,” admits Whiting, who is the co-founder and creative director of her eponymous jewellery brand. “I definitely had an agenda,” Hawker tells Broadsheet – he’s currently head of brand for the Cushla Whiting label.

At first, Whiting didn’t think they had much in common. “He was into techno and running! Honestly, I thought he could have been really arrogant,” she says. Meanwhile, Whiting preferred ’80s music and wearing vintage clothes. Over time, though, she recognised their clashing tastes were mostly superficial. “At the heart of it we have the same values.”

The duo found common ground in their love for aesthetics and design, as well as an affinity for good wine bars and summer picnics. “Nic moved home and we caught up a few times with groups of friends. We started hanging out and I definitely felt a solid friendship growing,” Whiting says. Both recall a sunny afternoon spent in Carlton Gardens as a tipping point – the moment they realised they shared something more than friendship.

Whiting was living in Collingwood at the time and Smith Street and its surrounds backdropped many of their early dates. Bar Liberty, the Builders Arms, Lazerpig and Marion feature in the couple’s memories. 

“She seemed really interesting to me. I admired the fact she had her own business and was incredibly driven,” Hawker says of their initial attraction. “I guess I had some assumptions about her that proved to be realities the more time we spent together.”

A former architect, Whiting launched the fine jewellery label alongside her sister Anna and brother Hamish in 2014. All of the siblings are trained gemologists – Hamish is a diamond grader currently living and working in Antwerp, Belgium; Anna, a qualified lawyer, is the label’s general manager. It’s a legacy inherited from their dad, Peter Whiting, who established a diamond wholesale business in Auckland in the late 1970s.

The brand has made its name by offering modern heirloom-level pieces informed by architecture and sculptural forms – Zaha Hadid, Anish Kapoor and Constantin Brâncuși are constant inspirations – combined with art deco opulence and geometry. Rare gemstones such as antique cut diamonds and teal Nigerian sapphires feature in wedding and engagement rings, earrings, necklaces and bracelets. All gems are responsibly sourced by Hamish, who’s amassed a collection of stones for Cushla Whiting that are “a little less common and a lot more interesting”.

Now Hawker works for the family business, too. As brand manager, he’s responsible for directing the company’s tone of voice and marketing materials. The move was a turning point in the couple’s relationship, Whiting says. “He’d unofficially been working with us for a while, helping with shoots and branding … always doing little things. An opportunity came up for him to come on board in a more real way and it just made sense.”

Whiting says it took a bit to convince Hawker to leave an agency design director job he loved. “It was a big step for us and we were so conscious that we didn’t want it to ruin the relationship, but it’s proved to be a really natural fit. We’re invested in the same thing and I think that actually has strengthened our relationship outside of work, too.”

Finding balance has helped with the inevitable blurring of lines between work and home life. “We don’t constantly talk about work – although sometimes we do. But the kids are a good distraction,” Hawker says. The couple have two children, currently aged six months and three years old. “Working in the business together also gives us a lot of flexibility as parents.”

Whiting loves to cook; Hawker is handy in the garden. Sharing the load of domestic duties, while also engaging in activities that bring them joy individually, is a good trick. “Nic’s dad is a horticulturist so he grew up always in the garden,” Whiting says. “I love and appreciate our garden so much, but I don’t necessarily want to get my hands dirty.”

Weekends are generally filled with trips to local cafes and lots of time spent in playgrounds. Markets, a glass of wine with friends and a nourishing family meal (most often magicked up by Whiting, who is a fan of Frankensteining a few recipes together) round out their off-duty hours.

When it comes to the wider family business dynamic, Whiting reckons it works because everyone contributes something different. “We all have very different skills and very different roles. There’s always going to be challenges working with family, but we try to have boundaries.”

That’s not to say a little collaboration can’t take place. When Hawker – a collector of rings long before he met Whiting – had an idea for a signet, he mocked it up in Adobe Illustrator and asked Whiting to help refine the design and make the piece. It’s now one of the brand’s bestselling styles.

“We definitely approach things in different ways but it’s actually kind of a good thing,” he says. “Being a designer myself, I can fully relate to Cushla and the feeling of putting yourself out there through your work.” 

Working together means making decisions constantly, and Hawker and Whiting agree that while constructive feedback can be hard to deliver, it is always important. Luckily, more often than not, they’re on the same wavelength. “I have full trust in Nic and his work and creativity,” Whiting says. 

Though some things are sacred, she admits. “I’m a bit of a control freak when it comes to my own jewellery and I designed my own 40th ring. It would be hard to give me jewellery!”

Travel is a big part of family life for the couple and their kids, who recently returned home after a five-week stint in Europe. “It was part work and part holiday, which can be really exhausting, but it works because we’re on the same team,” Whiting says. There might be fewer museum and gallery visits with two little ones in tow, but being away always stimulates creativity. “Even just walking around and taking in the buildings and streets … the culture and history can be inspirational.”

Next on the couple’s dream list is expanding Cushla Whiting as a brand and continuing to grow the business in a sustainable way. “We’re always trying to figure out what [the brand] looks like in the future,” Hawker says. “We’d definitely like to have a really curated retail presence.”

They also envision embarking on a renovation or house project, he says. “We probably watch too much Grand Designs. We’re constantly thinking about ways we can improve our living space. But it’s also about being collaborative and creative together.”

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