After I graduated from college I moved to
New York City and began working as a design associate for the most AMAZING artist and designer, Barry Kieselstein-Cord. To have the opportunity to work under his influence for four years after college was a very formative experience. When I moved to New York City, my intentions were to dive deep into the world of fashion. I was twenty two years old and soooo excited about my career. Well - life has unexpected surprises and my introduction to Barry Kieselstein-Cord was one of the most wonderful!
Prior to moving to New York City, I was planning on studying abroad in
Paris, France. I was enrolled in an overseas program that focused soley on the fine art of
haute couture. The program was specifically geared towards studying all the great coutiers in Paris and potentially meeting a few, as well as visiting their salons. Words cannot describe how excited I was!! Well, before I left for my Parisian excursion, my mom thought it would be fun if she and I and my sister Ashley all took a trip to Sante Fe,
New Mexico. One afternoon, we were eating lunch at
Cafe Pasqual's and a stunning woman walked up to our table and asked me where I had purchased my belt buckle. I was wearing a Barry Kieselstein-Cord bunny buckle. It was one of his earliest buckles -and it was also my moms! I laughed and told her that it was actually my moms. My mom and I were fumbling w/ the pronunciation of Barry's last name and we kept laughing. She laughed and introduced herself as CeCe, Barry's wife and then pointed to Barry sitting at a table near by. She was extremely kind to us as my mom explained she purchased the buckle many years ago at the Beverly Hills
Neiman Marcus. CeCe then explained that it was indeed an older buckle and when they saw me wearing it they were concerned that it was a knock off! Soooo, to make a long story short, upon my moms insistence, I went up to Mr. Cord and introduced myself. I remember being a total, nervous wreck! He was very kind and encouraging about my moving to New York City and he actually suggested that I contact him when I arrived. Well, upon returning home from our trip, being the young 'eager beaver' that I was, I immediately wrote him a letter of appreciation and inserted a few of my sketches for his
enjoyment! I thought "Gosh, you never know!"
It turns out that you really don't ever know! I received a call from his assistant a month later requesting to come by for an actual meeting and interview when I made it to New York. WOW! OH! WOW! I was flabberghasted! When I finally made it to New York, I had some decent interviews lined up w/ various designers. However the one I was most excited about was his. I had so much respect for his creativity, his choice to use the finest materials and the high quality, artisan craftsmanship in each one of his designs. I remember thinking it would be like going to graduate school in design if I had the opportunity to work under him. Really, it would be a very unique experience. The idea of having an experience like that became a reality after our meeting. I was walking on clouds, as he had offered me the opportunity to work on the development of his exclusive, couture handbag collection.
I spent the next four years at his studio. I absolutely loved my job. I truly enjoyed working with Barry. He was funny, fun, creative and I was always captivated by the way his mind worked when it came to developing concepts.
However, after living in New York City for four years, I was struggling to find peace within myself. Although I was very happy with my career and all that I was involved with, my personal life was not so good. I was a lonely. I missed my midwestern roots. I missed my family. I missed blue skies and quiet life. My parents had recently purchased a home in Arizona and invited me out for a visit. I think from the moment I stepped off the plane and onto the tarmack I was sold on desert life. I instantly loved it. I instantly wanted to be in Arizona all the time. I loved the saguaros, the skies, the wide open spaces, the tumble weeds, the road runners, the hiking, the mountains and the weather wasn't so bad either! :)
It was then that I knew where I wanted to be. I wanted to be near my family. To think my whole life all I had wanted to do was to move far away to New York City and I finally made it there and I realized that I wanted to move back close to home! Call me complicated! I remember privately bursting into tears with my mom during my visit. I shared with her my unhappiness. I explained that I didn't even realized
how unhappy I was until I arrived here! I returned home to New York with the seed planted. My dilemma was that I loved my job and my career but personally I wasn't doing so great. I had to figure out how to continue being creative, doing something that I loved but where I would be happy.
On a subsequent visit with my parents, over breakfast my father suggested that I try designing jewelry. He felt it would be something that I would be good at and enjoy. He felt that he and my mom could help me with starting a collection/business of our own. He said he always wanted to do something fun like that and was excited to give it a try. He was approaching retirement from a career as a periodontist that had many years of experience in wax, model making and casting. In addition, he was a successful businessman on an array of avenues. My mom used to be a jewelry designer and was quite good! She had her own business while I was in grade school and high school. She started out making clay pieces and eventually
sterling silver. Her designs were sold in a few stores locally as well as a
Saks Fifth Avenue. Combining my design skills with my moms and my dads business sense and periodontal background, the three of us decided that we all had something great to contribute.
It still astounds me that my parents believed in my talents enough to partake in an endeavor of starting a business together, while having my ideas and inspirations being the cornerstone of the business. They are two crazy people! :)
To summarize, "What made me want to become a jewelry designer?" The answer is probably that I wanted to become a jewelry designer because it sounded like a lot of fun and it meant that I would potentially be a much happier person because I would be able to do what I enjoy most, which is to be creative and to live where I would be most happy - in Arizona with my family close by!
I am very happy in my life today and I love being a jewelry designer. I wouldn't have it any other way. What I love most about being a jewelry designer is that it is such a personal experience. Designing clothing is so much fun - but being able to create a special ring or pendant has an intrinsic value to me. When I create a piece of jewelry for someone, I know that it is going to have meaning to them. I love that it is made out precious materials. I love that it may be a sentimental token given or purchased with symbolism behind it. Knowing that one of my jewelry designs could potentially be passed on for generations out of love and family and friendship is very fulfilling. Jewelry, unlike
most clothing, evokes strong personal emotions and it has a pyschological effect that is heartfelt. As I say, I like to think of my designs as small embraces.
Stay tuned for Part III: " What is the History of Saint?"
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