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Matilde Mourinho is fast becoming the poster girl for conscious luxury. The Portuguese jewellery designer and daughter of the multiple championship-winning football manager José Mourinho has created a niche in the luxury jewellery market with her sustainable brand Matilde Jewellery – and it's gaining quite the celebrity following. "Raye attended the [British] Fashion Awards in Matilde jewellery and she's worn it again since," Matilde, 29, tells HELLO! in our exclusive interview and photoshoot. "We've had Kate Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Thandie Newton, Kristin Davis wear Matilde – I love to see how different people style the pieces." Royals are fans of her jewellery line, too. "We've been honoured to have [the King’s second cousin and HELLO! columnist] Amelia Windsor wear the brand. She's such an advocate for sustainability," she says. "Hopefully one day we can see Princess Charlotte rocking some Matilde jewellery. I think that would be fab.” Family bond We meet Matilde at her stunning townhouse in Chelsea, south-west London, where she lives with her husband, the property consultant Daniel Graham, and creates her beautiful ethical pieces. She was a child when her father managed Chelsea Football Club, so she grew up in the area. He’s now based in Portugal, where he is head coach of the club Benfica, and is thought to be worth £100m. "I'm really close to my family, and I feel really close to my Portuguese heritage, even though I haven't lived in Portugal in more than 20 years,” says Matilde. Her interest in jewellery design began when she did her master's degree at the Condé Nast College of Fashion & Design in London, after studying at the London College of Fashion. Matilde describes her jewellery line as "modern yet timeless". Her design studio is on the top floor of her house, which she describes as her "little safe haven". Dream wedding She met her husband Daniel through mutual friends in London when they were both 17. "We were good friends for a couple of years, then we bumped into each other on holiday in Spain. We decided to meet back in London and we've been together ever since." The couple will have been together for ten years this December and recently marked their first wedding anniversary with a romantic trip back to where they got engaged and married, in her native Portugal. "The wedding was the best day for both of us and our family," she says. Her engagement ring, which she adores, was personally designed by Daniel – a five-carat pear-shaped lab-grown diamond on an 18k recycled yellow gold band. "He worked on it with my design team behind my back for months, and I had no idea!” Passion for jewellery It's no surprise that her fine jewellery line has such high-profile fans, given its impressive eco credentials. "Every piece is made from 100% recycled gold and lab-grown diamonds," she explains. "Increasingly, we see more customers looking for lab-grown diamonds, mostly because of the sustainability element; they want to know where pieces are from, and their journey." The company is also a recipient of the Butterfly Mark, awarded to luxury brands that meet high eco standards. Matilde's passion for the environment is inspiring. "It's about being conscious and consistent with certain choices, so I drive an electric car, I recycle at home and in the studio, I'm big on reusable coffee cups and water bottles and I try to buy less and buy better. "Overconsumption and fast fashion is something I try to stay away from." This month is the five-year anniversary of her jewellery line, which she celebrates with a new limited-edition collection, Five Stones, signifying each year of her journey. The milestone "feels incredible, but also a little bit surreal” she says, having launched her business in 2020, during the pandemic. "I’m really proud of what I built.” To read the full exclusive interview, pick up the latest issue of HELLO! on sale in the UK on Monday. You can subscribe to HELLO! to get the magazine delivered free to your door every week or purchase the digital edition online via our Apple or Google apps.
