Artisan: Imogen Lehtonen
Imogen Lehtonen balances her work as a jeweler for the iconic Great Frog with her love of Harley-Davidson motorcycles
Anyone with an interest in rock and roll culture will be familiar with the work of jewelry maker The Great Frog. Founded in 1972 on London’s famous Carnaby Street, the company has become an icon of the rock ‘n’ roll aesthetic with their signature skull rings and edgy alternative jewelry designs. Lemmy, Slash, and Ozzy Osbourne were early enthusiasts. Jay-Z, Iggy Pop, Josh Homme, and Arnold Schwarzenegger are customers. The Rolling Stones, Motörhead, Slayer, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Harley-Davidson have all collaborated with the company to bring out their own ranges, and now a new generation of music stars are discovering the Great Frog’s work, including Post Malone, Harry Styles, and the Arctic Monkeys.
Imogen Lehtonen, niece of the original founders, embodies the attitudes of The Great Frog – free spirit, music lover, and H-D motorcycle rider – for a new generation of customers that are as familiar with social media as they are with skull rings and wrenching on old motorcycles. From the flagship store on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles, Imogen is reaching out to a new generation through her silversmithing skills, her embrace of motorcycle culture, and her legion of Instagram followers.
The Great Frog occupies a unique position in contemporary jewelry design. Back in the day when skulls were a more specialized aesthetic, no one else was using jewelry craftsmanship to hand-make skull rings, a point not lost on the musicians and counter-culture enthusiasts who have stayed with the company, valuing its authenticity and the way it has remained true to its roots. These are attributes that resonate with musicians as much now as they did in the early ’70s.
“Motorcycles, music, and tattoos have always been the circle The Great Frog works in, and they are all things I love, so it is natural that I promote the company through what I do,” says Imogen. “My father was an amazing person and completely passionate about riding – he used to take me to school on the back of his bike – and he was my number one inspiration. He always carried in his wallet a photo of his old Panhead that he’d sold to a friend before he left the U.S. to work with The Great Frog, first in the U.K. and then in New Zealand. Forty years later, he went back and tracked it down, and now my cousin rides it in London.
“My father sadly passed away ten years ago, but some of my best memories are of riding with him. He introduced me to riding, and it became a shared passion, so now whenever I ride I feel closest to him – he’s right there, and I can hear his voice in my head.”
That passion for riding meant that when Imogen moved from New Zealand to the U.S. to manage the Los Angeles store, a Harley-Davidson was the first thing she bought. “I love the aesthetic, the brand, and what it represents – it goes hand in hand with America, and that feeling of freedom and endless opportunity; the feeling that you can jump on a bike and ride for weeks, seeing new things and having new experiences. That’s a powerful thing, especially when you grew up in a country where you could ride from one side to the other in a day.”
Imogen’s bikes are frequently seen in all their glory on her Instagram account. A 1200 Sportster serves as a city bike facing the LA traffic, and for longer journeys, she rides a 1993 FXR. In 2020, Imogen won her dream ride–a 1992 FXRP police bike–in a raffle on Instagram. Needless to say, each bike is customized to reflect Imogen’s personal style.
“The Sportster has had the most work done to suit my taste and riding style, and now I’m in complete love with it,” says Imogen. “It has a four-over on the front end and custom mid-high pegs, and it’s a great city bike. The FXRP is the same model that my dad borrowed from a friend when he came out to stay with me in LA in the summer of 2013; we had the best time riding around together on that bike and they are some of my most treasured memories, so it felt very serendipitous to win an almost identical Harley.”
“I like to be hands-on and do any work on the bikes myself when I can,” Imogen continues. “My daily work is with hand tools – grinding, sanding, sawing, hammering, polishing, and buffing jewelry – so it comes naturally. That has fed a love for the older bikes; they have a sound and a feel and a power all their own. And you can create a unique style that suits your own.”
Riding also plays a key part in Imogen’s professional life. “For me, riding is therapy. I ride all the time if I can – for much of the last 13 years it has been my only mode of transport, and it makes me happy. I’ve tried yoga and meditation, but for me the best way to still my mind is the ride from the mountains into LA for work. Often, I get off the bike and I’ve figured out something that has been bothering me. And the ride home is my way to decompress from thinking about everything else that is going on.”
With a flagship store in Melrose Avenue to manage (the company also has stores in London, New York and Tokyo), an ever-growing list of customers, and two sons to raise, riding is just as important a part of Imogen’s life as it ever was.
“I love long-distance riding and am always looking for a new adventure. I did a round trip to Colorado through Arizona, Utah, and New Mexico during the pandemic, with free camping in the wilderness along the way in amazing places like the Valley of the Gods in Utah.
“I also love riding in new places and have been lucky to have opportunities to ride all around the U.S., as well as in New Zealand – where I most recently did a trip up the North Island to promote the Harley-Davidson/Great Frog collaboration with my cousin and my husband – as well as riding in Australia, Bali, Japan, Italy, and England. I like the feeling of riding in a group of like-minded people; good riders who I can feel comfortable with. But then again, I like to jump on a bike and go – I guess I just love to ride.”
Words by Jeremy Pick, Photos by Autumn Spadaro
First published in Issue 049 of HOG® magazine.
Etiquetas:
