For six generations Boodles has been managed and owned by the same family, with each family member overseeing a different element of the business. Brothers Nicholas and Michael Wainwright lead the company from the two head offices in Liverpool and London’s Bond Street. Nicholas’ son, Jody, is Director of Precious Gemstones, while Jody’s cousin, James Amos, is Director of Marketing and Sustainability, Michael’s daughter, Honour, is Head of Communications, and her twin brother, Geordie, joined Boodles this year working in the sales team at the flagship store on Bond Street.
This feeling of family permeates the business and is what Boodles is known for by both staff and customers alike.
Never one to rest on its laurels, 2023 was a record year for Boodles. Sales figures surpassed all previous highs, making it their best year yet and almost each month saw a major new brand activation. One of these standout partnerships was the exhibition Pure Brilliance: The Boodles Story, at the Lady Lever Gallery in Liverpool, during which Boodles was invited to be part of the gallery’s 100th anniversary celebrations. The exhibition showcased the brand’s 225-year story and demonstrated how Liverpool helped shape its growth. It saw record attendance levels and was one of the gallery’s most successful showcases.
From gallery exhibitions to horse racing, Boodles is known for the sheer variety of its events. After a fantastic inaugural year in 2022, its partnership as lead sponsor for the ‘Boodles Cheltenham Gold Cup’ was renewed in 2023. At Jump Racing’s most prestigious contest, the Boodles pink logo was an ever-present backdrop and was seen far and wide throughout the Festival’s ITV broadcast. This year’s partnership was launched through a photo shoot with 2022’s Gold Cup Winner Rachael Blackmore on London’s iconic Bond Street with previous Gold Cup Winner, Native River. As the first female jockey to win the Gold Cup and BBC’s World Sport Star of the Year in 2021, Rachael is the perfect embodiment of a Boodles brand ambassador. It is no surprise that Boodles will be partnering with the Gold Cup again in 2024 to celebrate its highly anticipated centenary.
2023 also saw Boodles’ third garden at the Chelsea Flower Show, in collaboration with esteemed British garden designer Tom Hoblyn. ‘The Boodles Best of British Garden’ was awarded a Silver-Gilt medal and Her Late Majesty Queen Elizabeth II was one of the garden’s many visitors, trying on Boodles ‘Coronation’ Ring in an unforgettable moment that will go down in Boodles history.
Events didn’t stop here; the famed Boodles Tennis was back for the first time in three years, a Boodles pop-up was erected in the Algarve in Portugal, and The Boodles Boxing Ball returned, raising more money than ever for charity.
Of course, jewellery is what Boodles really prides itself on. Head of Design, Rebecca Hawkins, has been with the company since 1990 and through her direction Boodles’ designs stand at the forefront of the industry. In recent years the theme of ‘storytelling’ has been integral to many of these collections. This year Boodles launched ‘A Family Journey: Around Europe in 10 Days’, celebrating Anthony Wainwright’s round-the-world trip in 1962. In memory of his father, Chairman Nicholas Wainwright took part in a Grand Tour of Europe, seeking inspiration and looking for some of the very best diamonds and gemstones the world has to offer for Boodles’ latest High Jewellery collection. From Antwerp and Dublin to Venice and Paris, each location offered a new perspective for this stunning and highly successful range.
Traceability is at the heart of each new collection and Boodles knows its small selection of suppliers intimately. All the gold found in Boodles’ pieces is Single Mine Origin Gold, coming from one specific mine in Mali and there is full supply chain transparency. Likewise, Boodles has a close relationship with the Cullinan Mine, from where it sources many of its stones - three Boodles Directors visited the mine this year to see exactly where these rough diamonds are sourced.
Boodles have recently launched a brand new advertising campaign featuring Eliza and Amelia Spencer as the new faces of Boodles, continuing the theme of family from its previous campaigns with Amber and Yasmin Le Bon. Looking forward, Boodles are partnering with the National Gallery in 2024 for their 200th year and will be designing in celebration of the partnership. With so much going on it is no wonder that for many years the brand’s tagline has been ‘Always a Story’.
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