Times Have Changed But We Have Not

Saint first opened its doors approximately thirteen years ago. It is just amazing how we have come up against obstacle after obstacle and are still able to ride those waves. On that note, I will say that we have never come up against an "economic wave" such as the one that we are all experiencing more or less "together."

Metal prices have literally tripled and quadrupled in the last year and it really can affect the way a company will choose to design their product and the inventory levels they keep. We are a small, artisan company. Everything is still produced in house and under our watch. In some aspects this has helped us and in other ways it has really challenged us more than ever, in the last year.

They type of product we are known for, as well as appreciated for, have been pieces of substantial weight and extra detailing on both the inside and outside of the piece. We are seeing that a lot of "of the moment" designers are coming out with designs that are of extreme light weight and hardly any workmanship. A "new look," if you will. It is always refreshing to see new looks and I myself greatly appreciate simplicity. I suspect that there are several reasons that this lighter weight and more streamlined look have become such a popular direction for jewelry designers and their investors. I dare say that the main reason isn't about creativity but rather business and the bottom line.

If you can create a very simple and light weight design - it will cost you a lot less in labor and metal costs and will be much cheaper and easier to produce overseas, as well as a lot lighter weight to ship back to the U.S. Therefore that gives you extra money to put into your packaging and branding. In the end you have put very little money or value into a product with a fancy designer name and packaging and can then attach a handsome retail price tag. In other words the product that the consumer is being encouraged to purchase is the popularity of the brand name and not the quality of the product. Does this make sense?

Saint, is waaaaay behind the trend when it comes to making a buck! Saint is a small, American made, artisan, design house with extremely high quality materials, artisan design details and very small domestic production runs.

As a Saint collector or as a new Saint customer, you are going to really appreciate these qualities in that you are investing in a piece of work that not only has intrinsic value but your Saint pieces will retain their value as well as their aesthetic.

I share this with you so that you can become an educated jewelry shopper. The next time you are shopping and you see a pair of tissue-thin silver earrings in a handsome box that are the same price as a pair of heftier earrings with hand carved patterns and grill work on the underside as well as solid 18k gold details (not 18k painted on details or stamped on details) you will at least know by these simple features which pair of earrings is more valuable in metal and workmanship. You may go ahead and purchase the lighter weight, simpler earring (like I said, I love simplicity myself) but you will at least KNOW what you are spending your money on.

Oh To Be In Paris

Image via Wikipedia

My niece Maddie is presently studying abroad at The University of Oxford in England. She is an extremely bright young lady who attends Sarah Lawrence in Bronxville, New York. Maddie left for Oxford approximately three weeks ago. My husband Art and I can't help but wonder how she is doing and what she is doing all the time. Every few nights when Art comes home from work, one of us will say "I wonder how little Maddie is doing" on her overseas experience?

I suppose some of my curiosity is from wishing that I were living her experience. Having spent time abroad during my post college years, I remember what a life altering and a real growing experience it was for me. I spent my time in Paris studying Haute Couture (high end fashion). I still hold the memories of Paris so close to my heart. I loved Paris. I loved all that I learned and mostly I loved the ambition, the belief and the passion I had for what I was pursuing in my life.

I was so young. I was so young. I was young!!!!!

I think one of the things that I enjoy most about being creative and being a jewelry designer, is that it does help keep me "young." There is something about exercising creativity or creative thinking that causes me to feel alive and happy and well... young.

I suppose that until I am able to rendezvous in Paris again, designing jewelry and corresponding with my bright eyed niece on Facebook will just have to do!

A Day In the Mountain

This past weekend, my husband and I took off for a little breather and the two of us headed up to Flagstaff for a relaxing dinner and a nice hike/run to the top of Mt. Humphreys the next morning.

It is amazing what a night away from home can do to rejuvenate your mind and spirit. I have to say when we got into the car Saturday afternoon to drive up, I was tired, stressed and scatter brained! When we drove back down Sunday afternoon I was a new woman! Even when we got stuck in motionless traffic for 1.5 hours (yes, I wrote 1.5 hours stuck in traffic)coming back to Phoenix, I was able to laugh, sing to all the Hall & Oats songs that they were playing on the radio and enjoy the sunset.

It was a last minute getaway, and well worth the effort. I think both Art and I enjoyed spending some time alone and it brought back a lot of memories of what our life was like B.C. (before children). It was kind of surreal to be able to do something by yourself for such a long period of time. I kept double checking myself because I kept feeling like I was forgetting something.... I was, my children! Yikes!

We had beautiful Fall weather and relished in watching the sparkling Aspen trees let go of their yellow leaves. The day on the mountain was a wonderful time for both of us to clear our heads and work our legs and heart rates!!

The weekend was complete when we opened the door and were welcomed home by our two little smiling tots, faces covered with mac and cheese and milk mustache lips.

Home Sweet Home.

The Age of Exposure: Is Fashion's Mystique Gone? - WWD.com

The Age of Exposure: Is Fashion's Mystique Gone? - WWD.com

Shared via AddThis


This is a very interesting article. The title pretty much explains the content. I go back and forth on the topic and it is something that I have been thinking about on and off for the last few years. I was delighted to finally see someone take a stab at it.

Personally, I do feel that fashion has lost its mystique. It seems as though it has become "just another trade," a very big and valuable trade to our economy both globally and domestically.

I think these days, real live actual designers and assistant designers are very challenged to be "designers." Because it is such a fast pace, bottom line driven industry, even designers find themselves spitting out the same pants "with a twist" each season (all made overseas of course). Everything is all geared towards making a profit and therefore the concept of just creating to create is a very short catwalk. Don't get me wrong, we can still be creative with parameters (like cost of goods sold, global or domestic production, fabrications, findings, materials and quantities). In other words "the collection you designed looks great but we can't take it to market until you replace the buttons, change the sleeve, hem, change the collar, remove the pleats, find a different fabric, take out the lining, use a different color....great, now we can sell it!" Quite a collaboration! Not much mystique and glamour in that!

I suppose every industry has its "commercialization side." As a jewelry designer, whose pieces are all hand carved and still made one at a time in the United States, it is frustrating at times to see another collection receiving accolades and notoriety for its "creativity and craftsmanship" when I know full well that it was machine designed, mass produced and made overseas. It has a cool name, gorgeous packaging and great advertising. It is all about the brand. The product itself it truly a minor detail or perhaps an after thought. These collections receive the hype, great billing and "so and so is wearing it." I have to tell myself "they are a different business than the one I am in. We are not the same." Most times, years later these collections fade away or have serious problems with returns because of "poor construction." On the contrary, we seem to be in the "design business." We are creating a product and our business is about our product. I am really proud of that. I honesty don't think there are many of us left. Why? It is too hard in today's retail environment.


The "designer world" is totally accessible to everyone in today's world; the internet and cable tv, even tv stations fully dedicated to fashion around the clock, and literally hundreds of fashion magazines. Everyone one knows every designer and all about that designers life. What was once an exciting and alluring topic is now COMMON KNOWLEDGE.

I have to say when I see Lindsay Lohen half heartedly taking on the role of "Creative Director" for a design house like Ungaro...my heart drops all the waaaaaaaay, waaaay, way down to the tip of my toes. There is so much amazing talent in our world (not that she isn't talented). Based on the personal experience of being an educated designer with 20 plus years of experience in the creative process, I would just prefer to see someone that is in our industry and has spent the last ten years or more or or even less, have the opportunity to take on such a role and have Ms. Lohen start her own collection under HER OWN NAME. HOWEVER, the diplomatic side of my brain says we live in a capitalistic, democracy, for which I am thankful - so in the end, if that is what the house of Ungaro wants to do - then so be it!! It is really Ungaro that made this decision and we all know that these days everything is all about the bottom line.

I do think that some lines, such as Gwen Stefani's L.A.M.B. are genuinely created by the name behind the brand. I think you can just tell that Victoria Beckham and Gwen Stefani are truly passionate about their collections and even though they might not be the ones sitting behind the sewing machine, they are in the studio creating and doing a great job, I might add.

So, I guess when it comes down to it, the mystique is gone. To quote Marc Jacobs "It is what it is." It really is all about commerce and moving product. Our world is definitely changing. Even designers have to feed the beast if they want to prosper.

Why The Name Saint?

A common question that myself or anyone working with Saint gets routinely asked is "why is the collection named Saint?"

It is a good question and when I look back to the genesis of Saint, I ask myself "why was it so important for me to come up with a name that wasn't my own?"
First of all, the idea of coming up with a name for a collection that isn't your own name is in itself an exciting creative process. I remember brainstorming for a name and I also remember what an enriching process it was in helping me establish and identify the company brand. I think without the brand name the identity of the collection would not be as linear as it is today. We know who we are. We know what we create. We know our standards.

With much deliberation, we (my parents and I) all agreed on the monosyllabic name "Saint." WHY??? First and foremost it exudes a feeling of strength and integrity. The word Saint describes someone who is or has done something above and beyond good. Saint is a reminder to aspire to be better than you already are, to excel and succeed.

Graphically it was very strong.

It was in my heart to create a collection that was able to balance being timeless in style, sophisticated, meaningful enough to be worthy of passing through generations, well constructed and substantial, while at the same time being able to humorously add delicate touches of whimsy. Knowing this, I liked how the word Saint had both a yin and yang quality to it, in that it is very strong and innocent.

I still feel that the name Saint and the jewelry reflects all that it set out to be. We are 14 years in business and the name still runs strong and it still coincides naturally to our collections.