People often ask what inspires me. Often times I have a hard time concisely answering their questions. Not because I don’t have inspiration, but because I have too much of it. Frankly, my entire life inspires what I design and produce- and often that life has been a bit wacky.
Looking at my current collections yes, I was inspired by the places they are named after, however those pieces came to shape once I was home from those trips, and don’t we always have a different vision of a trip once we are home from it? At the risk of sounding cliché we really view most experiences in the past with rose-colored glasses, or at least I do. Maybe I stayed in a hostel where my roommates were mostly of the bug persuasion, or trekked for four days with no shower; once I am home I have always viewed those experiences as “part of the beauty of experiencing a city.” So, although in Buenos Aires I was often frustrated with my inability to communicate with the locals I was so taken by the European-esc beauty and sophistication of the city (not to mention the incredible steak!) that I felt I must create a collection around my memory of it.
Once home those memories along with my day –to- day life, (maybe I cooked a fantastic French meal last night and now all I can think about making is a 50’s era Parisian necklace) are what truly inspire me. This may be why some people look at my collections and feel they don’t “go together.” Frankly, I’m not sure they ever will. I am not one way, one style, or one personality and neither are most women. I am a mix of everything that has inspired me since birth.
Snapshots of my mother, sitting on a car, hair down to her knees- flower tucked behind her ear from the 70’s, one of my grandmother elegantly dressed in chiffon for a formal event in 50’s, or even one of my great grandmother on vacation in Cuba in 30’s all remind me of where my different personalities, styles and choices have emerged from.
So, when I make a piece of jewelry I make it based on where I am in my life that day, what music I am listening to (Belle and Sebastian right now), what food I have eaten, what movies I have seen, who I have met and of course-as you can see from the current collections- where I have been.
