Charlotte Metcalf is the Editor of Great British Brands and for three and a half years was co-presenter of Break Out Culture, a weekly podcast with former Minister of Culture, Lord Vaizey. She currently podcasts for The Oldie magazine and is the magazine’s supplements editor. She is also a film-maker, author and journalist. She reports regularly for Thomas Lyte on cultural events, exhibitions, fairs and publications that are of interest to the communities of the craftspeople we represent and celebrate, with a particular focus on goldsmiths and silversmiths.
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2024 saw Thomas Lyte continue to excel as the world’s largest creator of major sporting trophies. Beyond that, the brand continued to champion sustainability, heritage and traditional craftsmanship alongside bold innovation.
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Note from the editor: Charlotte’s article is packed with links and references to other Thomas Lyte news from 2024 – take a moment to explore and discover more of our craft stories!
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While globally recognised, Thomas Lyte is proud to be British and hold a Royal Warrant, granted by the late Queen Elizabeth II. It was also welcomed into Great British Brands 2024 in tribute to its status as a luxury heritage brand with strong links to the world of fashion. This was reinforced further when Louis Vuitton commissioned the brand to make its trophy for the America’s Cup.
The name Thomas Lyte alone indicates the brand’s roots in a long heritage of goldsmithing and silversmithing. Thomas Lyte was a 17th century genealogist at the Court of King James I. Lyte traced the King’s ancestry back to Brute, the mythical Trojan founder of the British nation, thus establishing James’s indisputable right to the throne. As a reward, in 1610 King James commissioned a miniature portrait of himself by the renowned miniaturist, Nicholas Hilliard, to be mounted in an enamelled gold and diamond locket. The exquisite Lyte jewel can still be seen in the British Museum and encapsulates the brand’s overriding mission, which Founder and CEO Kevin Baker describes as ‘putting English style and all the talented craftsmen who contribute to it at the heart of the luxury industry again.’
Above image: Thomas Lyte’s Head of Graphic design, Chris Cheeseman, produced this hand-drawn sketch of The Lyte Jewel
To that end, Thomas Lyte is deeply aware of the fragility of British traditional craft and therefore champions time-honoured but endangered goldsmithing and silversmithing techniques with its apprenticeship schemes which guarantee a further generation of skilled artisans. It also sponsored and participated in the 2024 GC&DC (Goldsmiths’ Craft and Design Council) Awards at Goldsmiths’ Hall, supporting innovation and skill in gold and silversmithing and buoying up the industry’s most talented craftspeople. While fiercely protective of traditional techniques, Thomas Lyte is the first to understand how vital it is to foster a future of excellence and commercial viability.
Above image: Daniel Bollard, one of Thomas Lyte’s award-winning goldsmithing and silversmithing apprentices
With this in mind, the brand keeps abreast of contemporary culture, particularly interested in how artists like Jonathan Yeo, Henry Hudson or Jim Naughten use AI to push boundaries. It’s well known that Thomas Lyte designs the Emirates FA Cup and to celebrate the impact the tournament has on global audiences, the brand collaborated with the Nigerian artist, Olaolu Slawn, to create a replica of the cup. They then came together for a Cup Culture musical event where the artist’s unique take on the classic proved a show-stopper.
Above image: Artist, Olaolu Slawn unveiling the fruits of his collaborative work with Thomas Lyte, a tribute to the Emirates FA Cup trophy
Thomas Lyte also applauded an exhibition at the newly opened King’s Gallery in Buckingham Palace, which celebrated a century of royal portraits. 150 photographs were on display by renowned photographers, from Cecil Beaton to Hugo Burnand. They revealed not just how photography has developed at an astonishing pace but also how the Royal Family has evolved, embracing innovation and exposing themselves to experimental photographers, often using ground-breaking techniques. In many ways the exhibition mirrored Thomas Lyte’s own determination to uphold its heritage while constantly forging a path to the future by embracing every possible important technical innovation to ensure the brand remains at the pinnacle of its game.
Above image displayed courtesy of the Royal Collection Trust
Customers increasingly demand brands conform to ethical and sustainable practices. Kevin Baker has made it widely known that sustainability is not a choice but a legacy and promise to future generations. His team underlined this promise by participating in an Earth Day Sustainability Initiative, putting the brand’s journey towards carbon neutrality under the microscope in an in-depth interview with Harshad Joshi, Thomas Lyte’s Purchasing Manager.
Above image: Thomas Lyte’s Purchasing Manager, Harshad Joshi, who leads the charge on accurately tracking Thomas Lyte’s performance against sustainability targets
Throughout the year Thomas Lyte also continued supporting charitable causes close to its heart. In the summer Kevin Baker joined the Royal Warrant Holder’s Association at the Queen’s Chapel for a charity reception to support the Chapel Royal Organ Scholarship programme. The donation to the programme, split equally between the RWHA and Thomas Lyte, gives the boys rare and coveted opportunities to play the organ at great Oxbridge colleges and cathedrals.
Above image: The Royal Warrant Holder’s Association Summer Reception supported by Thomas Lyte, held at the Queen’s Chapel.
As another year closes, Thomas Lyte looks forward to 2025, proud of its standing, not just as the maker of the world’s most recognised sporting trophies, but also as an internationally renowned luxury brand that handcrafts exquisite bespoke pieces. ‘I am full of praise and gratitude for our extraordinarily talented craftsmen and craftswomen who contribute to our mighty reputation,’ says Kevin Baker, ‘and we have achieved this reputation without ever failing in our commitment to sustainability or an ethical approach while constantly supporting craft, culture and the arts. Every true luxury brand espouses these values and standing strong alongside the very best global luxury brands ensures our legacy.’
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Note from the editor: Ahead of Christmas Day, and the new year, this will be the last “Culture Round-Up” article of 2024. As with the years that came before, (we’re finishing our third year now of Culture Round-Ups!) we’d like to wholeheartedly thank the many friends we have made this year for all their support while Charlotte was researching for our Culture Round-Up series. From Charlotte, myself, and all of our staff at Thomas Lyte, we wish you a very merry Christmas and a wonderful 2025.
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Read about our press mentions and awards for the project
We have selected a number of case studies that demonstrate the broad range of our capabilities designing and making in precious metals.
