Shaking things up – Jade Jagger

Jade Jagger has been synonymous with Ibiza style since the day she set up home on the island back in 1999. With her two young daughters in tow, she was the quintessential boho-luxe icon – her signature long flowing locks, penchant for printed maxi-dresses and ever-present layers of jewellery put her at the top of ‘best dressed’ lists for years on end. Jagger lived a relatively low-key lifestyle in the far north of the island for over a decade before her natural-born gypsy spirit inspired her to shake things up and take to the road again. These days, Ibiza is a regular pit-stop on her global travels; a place she can simultaneously feel at home and on holiday, and the place she continues to find inspiration for her work time and time again.

It’s work that bring the designer back to Ibiza at the end of the summer season in 2021, as Jagger unveils her new creative collaboration with luxury resort W Ibiza. Sitting in the glamorous EWOW Suite on the top floor of the hotel, overlooking the Santa Eulalia promenade and with panoramic vistas of the Med stretched out before her, she reflects on her long-standing connection to Ibiza and recalls a time when she thought it was nothing more than a party island. “I didn’t expect the diversity, the untouched beauty and the charm,” she says. “I wanted to bring my children up in a place where we could spend more time outdoors, and I’d been looking around mainland Spain but hadn’t really found anywhere that was right. Then I came to Ibiza and discovered so many unknown aspects of the island – living in the north, being at one with nature, the beautiful landscapes, all the unknown walks and cliff edges, being surrounded by the sea, the temperate climate and the freedom. I was enamoured.”

Beyond the natural beauty and embracing a more hippie way of life, Jagger also felt a similar call to many other artists who flocked to the island before her. “It appealed to me culturally,” she continues. “Through the years, Ibiza has always been a meeting point for different artists from around the world. There’s such an interesting mix of creative people here.” She acquired an ancient finca, Can Rocas, in the hills of San Juan and set about reforming and redesigning it in her own signature style – think earthy bohemian meets exotic gypsy with just the right dash of disco – all the while working on her own fine jewellery designs, collaborating with some of the world’s most famous brands, and even throwing her own edgy Jezebel parties in the back room at Pacha. Jagger’s work ethic has always been tireless – even when she’s travelling to far-flung corners of the globe, she’s seeking inspiration and channelling it into her creative outputs.

“My inspiration really comes from people, travel, architecture and history – these are all rolling concepts with my work, along with the precious stones I use,” says Jagger, who is currently missing her regular trips to India to work with her dedicated team of artisans and is eager to return as soon as the travel situation allows. “Each new thing I do is an evolution of what I’ve done before.” Her love of history is apparent in her striking jewellery designs, where cultural references range from her beloved India, her other island home of Mustique, the Mexican Zapotec culture, ornate religious artefacts and exotic talismans, not to mention her own rock and roll heritage. Intricately crafted designs, high-end materials, bold colours, historical symbolism and a sense of cutting-edge luxury are all key elements of a Jade Jagger creation.

These signature elements are also obvious in her collaboration with W Ibiza. After the global lockdowns, the iconic brand – part of the Marriott Bonvoy group – was looking to offer its discerning clientele a way to bring a little piece of Ibiza into their homes and approached Jagger with the idea to create a limited-edition luxury cocktail set. “We wanted to imbue something with the ethos, inspiration and philosophy of the brand,” explains Jagger of the creative project. “I loved the process of designing drinkware, as there were so many synergies that could be drawn with designing accessories. I wanted to capture the playful spirit of W Ibiza and give each design its own personality – it was very much like crafting a bespoke piece of fine jewellery, with all of the parts carefully and thoughtfully intertwined. And I love to travel, so I really wanted to create the little travel case for it, even though I know it’s heavy solid silver!”

Jagger laughs as she picks up one of the ten unique sets – well over five kilograms each, she knows they’re not destined to become your average carry-on luggage piece, but her attention to detail makes the hand-made case every bit as worthy of display as the cocktail shaker and hand-sourced vintage crystal glasses housed within. Made with buttery-soft napa leather and lined with hand-marbled paper, each one-of-a-kind case takes its cues from the signature hues of Ibiza – golden sunshine yellow, rich sea green, soft lavender, dusky pink and earthy tones – and the colourful gemstones Jagger uses in her fine jewellery designs. The cocktail shakers are hand-crafted in Jaipur from solid silver, delicately engraved with a stylish palm tree emblem reminiscent of the Ibiza shoreline and echoing the island’s feeling of escapism.

A little bit boho, a little bit rock and roll, the sets are not unlike the designer who created them. No stranger to shaking up a cocktail or two of her own when the occasion arises, Jagger professes to whipping up a classic martini (“It’s so much harder than people to imagine to get that perfect little bit of vermouth into it,” she says knowingly) for herself and guests when entertaining – which is often. “I still cherish the memories of having friends and family, whoever was on the island at the time, up in the house in San Juan,” she says. “We’d have 20 of us sitting around, just eating and talking, I loved to cook for us all. Those kinds of moments are the ones I really appreciated in Ibiza.” While she no longer owns the house in San Juan, Jagger still gets the opportunity to enjoy big family get togethers in Ibiza, as her daughter and grandchild still call the island home.

“It’s wonderful to be back,” she says. “I feel like I’m always welcomed here with open arms and I do miss it. Movement has always been part of my life though, and the time came for me to move on when my children were ready to go to school somewhere else.” When in Ibiza, she always returns to old haunts such as La Paloma (“It’s always been one of my favourites for lunch.”) and to see her old friend Vicente Ganesha for one-off vintage and Indian fashion pieces. “I see a lot more fashion and dressing up here this year,” Jagger observes, citing the pandemic as a potential reason for the return to glamour. Beach-wise, it’s all about Formentera for Jagger – which is where she’s headed for some R&R after her launch event is over – and the north of Ibiza retains a special place in her heart. “Ibiza is like an Indian goddess who has eight arms,” she muses. “There are handfuls of different things you can get for whatever suits your day, your mood or your personality.”

By night, she’s finding herself drawn to the UNESCO World Heritage Listed old town, Dalt Vila, and neighbouring La Marina more than ever before – attracted to the architecture, the vibe and the plethora of new restaurants. Hip new Sabbaba restaurant in the iconic Gran Montesol hotel is a new favourite, as is the locally loved CHIDas Cantina for laidback Mexican dinners and the French bistro-style delights of L’Apero. “I love Dalt Vila because of its historical element,” Jagger says. “It’s got such a magical feeling and yet you’re in the very centre of town. As I’m growing up more, I want to be closer to cultural things – I’m craving that kind of information and inspiration.” It’s amusing to hear Jagger refer to herself as ‘growing up’ – while she possesses a youthful Peter Pan spirit and boundless energy, she became a grandmother at only 43 years old and now, at 49, her impressive resume is longer than most people could dream of within their career span.

From art school in Florence and studying artisanal jewellery design in India to heading up her own fine jewellery brand, Jade Jagger Jewellery and a seven-year period spent at the creative helm of the world’s oldest luxury goods brand Asprey & Garrard, Jagger has been honing her creative skills since the late 1980s. She’s also collaborated with luxury brands such as Guerlain and Louis Vuitton, developed interior design partnerships with John Hitchcox, Philippe Starck and YOO, designing residences in Ibiza, Goa, UK, NYC and Formentera, run her own Jezebel music and fashion lines, takes on private commissions and is now designing for W Ibiza – this savvy businesswoman and designer shows no sign of slowing down just yet. Must be something in those remarkable Jagger genes.