Anita Brightley-Hodges
CREATIVE DIRECTOR - ENTREPRENEUR - WOMEN'S ADVOCATE
Anita is the award-winning Creative Director and co-founder of Irene & Jenny.
With a lifelong love of craftsmanship and storytelling, Anita brings both intuition and artistry to every piece she designs. Her ability to interpret the emotion behind each heirloom - and reimagine it into something truly spectacular - is the beating heart of our brand.
But Anita is more than a jewellery designer. She’s a business leader, mentor, fundraiser, and sought-after speaker - known for her warm wit, straight-talking insight, and generous spirit.
Whether she’s designing a deeply personal commission, addressing a room full of entrepreneurs, or supporting women-led charities, Anita’s purpose remains the same: to make people feel seen, heard, and valued.
Creative Director & Designer
Anita’s creative vision is the soul of Irene & Jenny. A trained art teacher and award-winning designer, she brings over two decades of jewellery design expertise - and a lifetime of artistic curiosity - to every commission.
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Before co-founding Irene & Jenny, Anita ran her own design agency, where she won multiple industry awards and led creative campaigns for some of the world’s most recognisable brands, including British Airways, Boots, NetJets, Sony, Virgin, AstraZeneca, and more.
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Her approach to jewellery is informed by a rich, eclectic design background. She draws inspiration from fashion, paintings, sculpture, heraldry, history, nature and architecture - and her studio is home to a carefully curated library of design books, featuring icons like Alexander McQueen, Cartier, Gaudi, Iris Apfel, David Hockney, Annie Leibovitz Yayoi Kusama, Frida Kahlo, Marina Abramović, Zaha Hadid and César Manrique
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But what truly sets Anita apart is her intuitive understanding of people. She doesn’t just redesign jewellery - she listens, feels, and interprets, transforming heirlooms into extraordinary, one-of-a-kind pieces that capture the wearer’s essence and story.
Entrepreneur & Business Leader
Anita is a lifelong entrepreneur with an extraordinary track record of building businesses from the ground up. Over the years, she has founded and led multiple ventures - including a successful design agency, an award-winning events and publishing firm, and now, a luxury jewellery house with her daughter, Amalia.
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She has worked with some of the world’s most recognisable brands and visionary business leaders, offering creative direction and strategic insight to many household names. Her experience spans industries - but her leadership has always been driven by creativity, integrity, and a deep understanding of people.
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While building her businesses, Anita also raised four children, with the support of her husband, Steve - juggling the demands of motherhood and entrepreneurship long before flexible working became a conversation. She is living proof that building a business and a family is not only possible, but powerful.
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Her mission has always been to build her own empire - one rooted in creativity and meaning - while being a role model for young women striving to do the same.
Fundraiser & Trustee
Deeply committed to making a difference, Anita has spent over two decades raising funds and awareness for charities close to her heart. ​ A lifelong philanthropist and intrepid traveller, she has raised over £150,000 for a wide range of charities through both personal fundraising and the dynamic events she’s organised through her businesses.
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From the glaciers of Patagonia to the peaks of the Annapurna trail in Nepal, Anita has undertaken some of the world’s most treacherous and physically demanding treks - including Machu Picchu, the Great Wall of China, Mount Elgon in Uganda, and the Camino de Santiago, to name just a few. Each journey has been fuelled by purpose: to raise money and awareness for causes close to her heart.
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She is currently a proud trustee of the HatHats Foundation, helping to build a sustainable, community-led coffee-growing village in Uganda. Alongside this, Anita has helped to fund over 35 borehole wells in East Africa, providing clean, life-saving drinking water to remote villages and transforming daily life for thousands of families.
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Throughout her life, Anita has supported an extraordinary range of causes including Great Ormond Street Hospital, Alzheimer’s Research UK, Abigail’s Footsteps, Cancer Research UK, Fields of Life Uganda, Help for Heroes, RBLI, and many more.
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Whether she’s trekking through high-altitude trails or hosting a black-tie charity ball, Anita brings her signature energy, generosity, and unwavering sense of purpose. She doesn’t just support causes - she shows up for them, with her boots on and her heart wide open.
Speaker & Advocate
Anita is a sought-after keynote speaker and thought leader, regularly invited to share her insights at some of the world’s most respected business institutions and events.
Her speaking engagements have included Oxford University’s Saïd Business School, Exeter University, Henley Business School, Hertfordshire Chamber of Commerce, KPMG, EY, and the Royal Bank of Canada, where she brings warmth, candour, and decades of entrepreneurial experience to every stage.
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A natural communicator with a gift for storytelling, Anita has also been featured across leading media platforms including BBC Kent, The Telegraph, The Guardian, the Sandro Forte Podcast, and numerous other radio shows, podcasts, and television channels - each time sharing her unique perspective on business, creativity, and life.
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She speaks passionately on a wide range of topics, including:
– Being a woman in business
– Entrepreneurship and resilience
– Building and growing a family business
– Brand storytelling and luxury marketing
– Female leadership and empowerment
– Networking with purpose
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Whether addressing a room of CEOs, mentoring young professionals, or appearing on a panel, Anita’s style is always the same: honest, insightful, and refreshingly human. Her goal is not just to inspire - but to equip and uplift.
We would be delighted
to hear from you
To discuss transforming your heirloom jewellery into a beautiful, new piece please get in touch with our Co-Founder, Amalia, who will be happy to talk through your ideas.
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We are based in beautiful Devon, UK but work with clients globally. All design consultations can be either in-person or virtually, wherever you are in the world. ​​​
07590 830 001 - call us or send a photo of your jewellery by Whatsapp
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One-of-a-kind, bespoke jewellery creations starting at £12,000 / $16,000