This edition of Designer Dossier features our Gone Native tribal challenge winner, Nancy Duncan of Kansas, whose Turquoise Dagger Necklace was selected to be produced and sold on CrowdJewel in two of fall’s hottest colors: Oxblood Red and Olympian Blue (click here to get on the pre-order list). Nancy’s business, Epona’s Jewels, started as a hobby but blossomed into a full-fledged online business just over five years ago. We wanted to find out more about her inspirations and business advice to her fellow CrowdJewelers. Read on below to find out more!

Nancy Duncan

CrowdJewel: Epona’s Jewels is an interesting name, what does it mean and how does it reflect in your designs?

Nancy Duncan: Epona was a Celtic goddess and the protector of horses, and her horses were leaders of the soul in the ride to the after-life. I have always associated with horses and decided to use the name in my business. A lot of my designs are tribal or horse related.

CJ: You’ve turned your hobby of making jewelry into a full-time business and have been successful online for 5+ years. What was the hardest part about starting your own business?

ND: The jewelry business IS a full time job, however I also work at a 9 to 5 job. All my spare time is spent running the business and making jewelry.  It is a kind of therapy for me and helps me relax.

The hardest part was learning the business aspect of it. The bookkeeping, and technical aspects of selling and marketing the product.

CJ: What is the most fulfilling?

ND: Having a design all come together and then finding a home for it with someone who appreciates it. The feedback you receive from customers who love the jewelry makes it all worth it.

CJ: What advice would you give to someone just starting out?

ND: Start small until you understand the basics. If you aren’t comfortable with the process, it can become overwhelming as the business starts to grow. 

Nancy’s winning Turquoise Dagger Necklace in the original turquoise. Pre-order here.

CJ: How would you describe your style? Who do you design for? Tell us about your inspirations, and why they’re so meaningful to you.

ND: My style has changed a lot over the years and is still developing. At first I tried to make pieces that I thought people wanted to buy, instead of making pieces that I enjoyed making. Now I just make what I like, and hope that others them as as well. I am in love with the jewelry of the southwest and have acquired a rather large collection over the years. I think that a lot of my pieces reflect that. I also use crystals and stones that appeal to me either through their visual appeal or through their healing qualities. The stones will talk to you if you let them.

CJ: You make and sell original one of a kind (OOAK) jewelry, and never create large quantities of any one style. What attracted you to working with CrowdJewel, an international platform, to produce and sell one of your designs?

ND: I think that Crowd Jewel and other sites like it help spread the word about handmade jewelry artists and inspire designers to get out there and show their work. 

Thanks to Nancy for taking the time to share her story with us. If you haven’t yet, be sure to get on the pre-order list for her stunning necklace!

Self-taught designer, Melanie Falvey is the second CrowdJeweler from the Design-to-Manufacture Challenge to be produced and sold on CrowdJewel. Her line, Chic Jewel Couture, was launched in 2009 from her studio in Madrid, Spain, and went international shortly thereafter in 2010. Read on below to find out more about Melanie, what inspires her, and the story behind her winning design, the Crushed Cuff!

Melanie Falvey

CrowdJewel: You’re part British and part Spanish, and you work out of your studio in Madrid, Spain. Is there one culture you feel you identify more with than the other?

Melanie Falvey: Well, I am pretty sure if you were to ask anyone, they would immediately say, “She’s totally British!” I reckon my personality and upbringing is in fact more British. Although I spend most of the year in Spain, I do have the need to go to London often both to work and find inspiration for my designs and because it just feels like “going home”. I am lucky to have two cultures to turn to for inspiration in such a natural way, and it is also very fortunate that I can communicate in both languages. My studio moves along with me wherever I am and it’s just as natural for me to be working in Madrid as it is in London. Spain has many beautiful places and its culture and history is exciting, but London is so vibrant and full of things to do and see. 

CJ: You used to be a wedding/event designer and a decorator, but always made jewelry on the side. What inspired you to leave your “day job” and work on your jewelry line full-time?

MF: I can’t remember the exact moment, it was more of a progressive transition. I’d been learning and improving my skills for some years and I launched my first line when I felt I was ready to do so. As a designer, I need to create and I feel designing jewelry fulfills my creativity the most, although I cannot help “mentally decorating” every place I enter! I somehow know my [decorating] background will prove useful in the future, who knows? 

The Crushed Cuff

CJ: You are a self-taught jewelry designer. How would you describe your style? How long did it take you to evolve into a style you felt represented you?

MF: Yes, I am indeed self-taught and I must say it is a very expensive way to learn as you go through a ton of material by experimenting, but I also think it gives my designs a fresh take on formality often linked to fine jewelry.

My style reflects my personality 100%. I am eclectic in my tastes: I love all kinds of music, all kinds (or almost) of art and literature. [My jewelry] is very eclectic, but I wear each and every piece I design, it just depends on my mood, the time of year, the occasion… I would be unable to wear the same piece every day. How boring would that be? …it is important for me to create pieces that every woman—no matter what her style is—would want to wear, [in a way] I create for an attitude, not a style.

Earrings from the Gold Collection, the Cleopatra Choker

CJ: Archeology, history, architecture, travel, and literature are all sources of inspiration for you. Tell us about them and why you find inspiration in these things.

MF: I have always been interested in those things ever since I was a child. I am curious by nature and love learning. I am lucky enough to be surrounded by great landscapes and architecture that are an incredible source of inspiration. I am an avid reader, so literature becomes another source of inspiration and I love traveling and discovering interesting facts and beautiful spots. I need to be surrounded by beautiful things. I appreciate small details and this is very useful for designing. Where other people see a piece of crumpled paper, I see a Crushed Cuff!

CJ: You mention that all of your designs have a story behind them. What’s the story behind the Crushed Cuff?

MF: As I said before, I see beauty in many little things. The Crushed Cuff was something I came up with seeing all this beautiful paper just crushed and crumpled in a paper bin. I was in the middle of creating my Gold Collection, experimenting with primitive jewellery techniques and I said to myself I had to recreate the look of the crushed sheet of paper in silver and gold. It was no easy task, but after some attempts the Crushed Cuff was born! I think the beauty of it is it looks distressed and understated because of the texture and shape but then the gold gives it a truly luxurious look. I like that fusion. It looks super with jeans and a simple top or with a glamorous outfit.

CJ: You pride yourself on hand-making your jewelry, and have a personal connection with your customers. What attracted you to working with CrowdJewel, an international platform, to produce and sell one of your designs?

MF: Well, I like the idea behind CrowdJewel. I like new projects, original ideas that provide both customers and designers the right environment and positive experience to achieve our goals. I feel at CrowdJewel you appreciate the effort we as designers make to get our designs out there and by letting customers choose their favourite designs it becomes an interactive experience, more like belonging to a club sort of thing, we are all working together.

I also think it is a great way of getting more exposure and the right exposure, which is very important. The designers featured are incredible and it is a pleasure to be featured beside them. When I submitted my Crushed Cuff, I wanted to be absolutely certain of the support it got so I didn´t tell any of my friends or family to vote, only to be sure the votes I got were from supporters and customers (but with no family ties! I have great family and friend supporters but they are probably not 100% objective!). It has proven a great way to measure the success of this design, so I encourage designers to try it out as well.

Thanks so much to Melanie for taking the time to chat with us, and congratulations for winning the Design-to-Manufacture Challenge!

If you haven’t put your name on the pre-order list for her Crushed Cuff, make sure to do so here!

CrowdJeweler Katie Schloss is the first designer from our Open Call to be produced and sold on CrowdJewel.

Resident New Yorker, Katie Schloss, left her day job as a fashion publicist at LaForce + Stevens to launch her line, Three Jane by Katie Schloss, in Febrary 2012. In just a few short months she’s received press coverage in major media outlets and is collaborating with fellow New York designer, Cynthia Rowley, to design accessories. Most recently, on July 16, Katie Schloss’s Rachel’s Present earrings were chosen from CrowdJewel’s Open Call section to be produced and sold. We wanted to find out more about Katie and her collection, read on to learn more!

CrowdJewel: New York residents might be familiar with Jane Street in Manhattan’s West Village, but for the uninitiated, tell us about your company name, “Three Jane by Katie Schloss.”

Katie Schloss: As Jane Street skips from one to five, Three Jane is an imaginary address in Manhattan’s West Village, an area known for its quaint and charming streets—Jane Street is no exception.  With more published authors per square foot than any other street in the city, Jane Street is representative of the creativity and innovation valued at Three Jane. The fact that it’s imaginary plays into the whimsical nature of each collection.

CJ: You used to work for LaForce + Stevens as a fashion publicist. What inspired you to leave it all behind and start your own line? 

KS: I learned so much from working in PR, both at LaForce and on a freelance basis afterward. While I was managing social media campaigns, most notably working with Erin Fetherston, one of my friends asked if she could borrow one of my necklaces for an upcoming shoot. Of course, I said, “Yes.” Then, she asked for a credit check, which I gave to her. About a week later, she messaged me on G-Chat to tell me that the necklace was actually running in the magazine. So at that point, I decided to take this all much more seriously, quit my other projects, and dedicated myself fully to getting Three Jane off the ground.

Waverly Rings from Three Jane Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

CJ: What is one piece of fashion publicist advice you can pass on to fellow CrowdJewelers?

KS: My one piece of publicist advice would be to ALWAYS keep extending your network. Don’t delete Facebook friends or cut people out of your life in general. You never know when those connections might be helpful down the line, especially if you foster each of them correctly.

Day to Night earrings with interchangeable briolettes.

CJ: You started your line in February of this year and have already be featured in media outlets such as, Martha Stewart Weddings, and NBC’s “New York Live”, and have made custom designs for designers like Cynthia Rowley. What’s the biggest, “I can’t believe this is happening (in a good way!)” moment you’ve had so far?

KS: Meeting and working with Cynthia Rowley has definitely been the highlight of my career thus far. Being given the opportunity to work on Cynthia’s resort and spring collections, meeting Cynthia herself, having my own designs sold in their West Village and Montauk stores—it’s all pretty unreal!

Emily’s Luncheon Necklace from the Three Jane Spring/Summer 2012 Collection.

CJ: You’ve been quoted as saying, “…that all women should stand out, wear something unique, something that no one else has, without breaking the bank…” CrowdJewel is about sourcing great design from all over the world, but we manufacture and sell all over the world, too. How do you reconcile these two points of view? Is there such thing as too many of a Three Jane design?

KS: While I present two collections annually, I actually create a separate collection of one-of-a-kind pieces for Three Jane Residence, which includes friends, family members, industry influencers, and valued customers. Available in the Residence Only section of the website, all of these pieces are offered at wholesale prices, making them affordable, unique, and exclusive at the same time.

I love CrowdJewel’s concept because it helps make extraordinary designs accessible to people all over the world at a reasonable price point, something that as a six-month-old designer is extremely difficult to do. Also, by “getting on the list” and being given an early adapter discount, CrowdJewel also fosters that feeling of getting something truly unique, special, and different, without having to pay a fine jewelry price tag.

Rachel’s Present earrings in red. Also available in various colors. To pre-order, click here.

CJ: What’s next for Three Jane by Katie Schloss?

KS: Launching my e-commerce site is definitely the next step! We’ve been working on the site for a few months now, and I couldn’t be more excited to finally have an online storefront.

Congratulations to Katie Schloss for being the first CrowdJeweler to be produced and sold from the Open Call section. We can’t wait till all our Rachel’s Present earrings come in! If you haven’t yet, put yourself on the pre-order list here!

For this edition of Designer Dossier, we’re featuring Portland, OR designer, Brehan Todd (“Bree-yawn”), who’s been with CrowdJewel since our humble beginnings. Her original and on-trend designs have garnered her three CrowdJewel wins, the latest of which, the Armor Metal Bib Necklace, has made hers one of the first designs to be manufactured and sold on CrowdJewel! We sat down with Brehan to discuss her story, her inspiration and future plans.

Brehan Todd

CrowdJewel: Your formal training is in fashion design, and you’ve paid your fashion dues with some big names in New York, NY. What inspired you to leave it all behind to start your own line in Portland, OR?

Brehan Todd: When I was in New York, I was constantly inspired by things there. The problem is, the lifestyle is so hectic, it can be hard to focus and find time to design well and still have a life. I learned a lot working for other designers but ultimately, I knew that was not my goal. I wanted to start my own line, which is much more feasable in the smaller, more local and vibrant independent design scene than New York in some ways.

Metal Armor Bib Necklace (Design-to-Manufacture Challenge)

CJ: Who, past or present, has had the greatest influence on your career?

BT: The person that has had the most influence on my career is my mother, for sure. I always loved watching her be creative. Growing up, she was always making something. My mom has an impeccable eye and her own unique style. That influenced me to develop my own look and preferences at an early age, to notice and study details. She encouraged me to explore my own creativity at an early age. She put me in ballet class and art classes from the time I was three and gave me confidence in trying things and failing, or succeeding, but always to keep trying.  

Bella Notte Necklace (Black Swan Challenge)

CJ: What are your favorite qualities in a woman to design jewelry for?

BT: When I’m designing for women, I love them to be unique and adventurous with style, to have and eye for detail and to appreciate something made by hand. I love it when women know what they want and are secure in themselves, their beauty and style, no matter their age or demographic. Confidence and style are limitless if you are willing to try anything. 

Garden Cocktail Ring (Spring Cocktail Ring Challenge)

CJ: You’re working with Brad Kreuger, fellow entrepreneur and art curator who was formerly with Anthropologie, to design a showroom and gallery space. Tell us about it.

BT: Brad and I are working on a creative project right now called Buckskin (see the Buckskin & Brehan blog). It’s evolving and changing all the time, which is what we hope to continue. Right now we are curating a collection of paintings, sculpture art, and jewelry. The light in the studio happens to be perfect for shooting still and video projects, so we’ve been taking advantage of that lately.

Recently we did a beautiful wedding shoot with Amy Mcmullen that will be shown soon, and last week we participated in a project for Apple with Intel. The possibilities are endless as far as what we can create and accomplish together.  We are really excited and passionate about representing art that we think is relevant and not shown elsewhere in Portland. We are also thrilled to have a showroom space to show my line and interact with customers. 

Metal Armor Bib Necklace in Brehan’s studio

CJ: Your line is dedicated to sustainability, sourcing locally, and hand-crafted design. What attracts you to CrowdJewel, an international platform where designs are sourced and sold all over the world?

BT: I’m extremely happy to be working with CrowdJewel to produce this necklace I created! I made it with the thought that it was going to be something different than my other collections, for Fall 2012.  I wanted to add some edge and toughness to the usual whimsical femininity of my jewelry designs. I feel like this piece represents my favorite elements in fashion right now, with a classic sensibility. 

I am committed to working with my personal ethics in mind. Sustainability is slowly becoming the norm but is still difficult for most people to access around the world. In order for my voice to be heard and my designs to become known, I feel that it’s important to work with other people with great ideas as well. I support the CrowdJewel site as a new and entirely interactive way for people around the world to buy something that is created by one person and turned into a much bigger possibility. The power in working together is the most important part of sustainability and what will potentially create actual change. 

CJ: What are you working on right now and what’s next for Brehan Todd?

BT: Right now I’m focused on solidifying my collection for Holiday 2012, which is one of my favorite collections I’ve ever done. I’m really enjoying working with brides on custom accessories and jewelry. That is a lot of fun because each project is so different and I get to collaborate with the wedding team to create the ultimate experience for the client. Buckskin is almost ready to have it’s opening event, so that’s really where my efforts are right now. Going forward, I feel really positive about the future and what it holds for us.  

Thanks again to Brehan Todd for being a long-standing CrowdJeweler! We’re thrilled that she’s one of our first designs ever to be produced and sold on CrowdJewel. For more information about Brehan and her designs, please visit her site BrehanTodd.com.