What do we love most about our designers? In an age where most of us buy from faceless brands, every designer on Boticca has a soul and a story. This week on our homepage we get up close and personal with four of our inspiring emerging designers – and discover the back story behind their beautiful pieces.
Adesso
Adesso, which means “now” or “in the moment” in Italian, is a jewelry line created by Santa Barbara artist Samantha Goldstone. This cool California girl has been making jewelry since childhood and recently committed herself to designing full-time.
Despite her laid back, LA-inspired look, Samantha has traveled far and wide over the last decade, and her jet-setting has certainly influenced her choice of materials and design. She finds treasures on each trip that are incorporated into her jewelry, giving each collection its own unique story, or ‘journey’.
Every piece is an eclectic mix of the old and new, local and international. Jewelry is created with a distinct combination of vintage and ethnic beads, semi-precious and precious stones and various metals, including sterling silver, gold, bronze and pewter. Unsurprising, given LA’s stellar vintage scene, Samantha is particularly drawn to vintage glass, vintage African trade beads, antique silver and unusual semi-precious stones and charms.
Samantha doesn’t just love exploring the planet – she is passionate about protecting it. She makes her own eco-friendly cleaning products, grows much of her family’s food with her husband in their garden and supports local businesses and farmers. From handpicking vintage beads the world over to opting for sustainable materials, Samantha is committed to keeping Adesso green.
But Adesso is also a brand with a big heart. Since surviving cancer as a young adult, Samantha has become committed to helping individuals coping with chronic and terminal illnesses. A percentage of Adesso’s profits and time are donated to related causes.
Circe
In 2002, when Nina Egli was studying acting at the Lee Strasberg Institute in New York, she began to make jewelry. Soon she left treading the boards and dreaming of Broadway for designing her own silver jewelry line, and Circe was born!
So where does such a mystical name come from? In Greek mythology, Circe is a minor goddess of magic living on the island of Aeaea. Circe transformed her enemies, or those who offended her, into animals through the use of magical potions. It also means “the alchemical balance between nature and humans”, With a first collection all about anchors, then underwater creatures like the octopus, and now snakes, Nina is constantly inspired by the elements, earth and water, and loves magical animals. So the name seemed a perfect fit!
But Nina won’t be jetting off to Circe’s island any time soon. Based in hipster hangout Brooklyn, her dreamy designs are handmade in a small artisan studio, amidst the hustle and bustle of Jaipur, India.
Liz Law
Liz Law makes one-of-a-kind jewelry from vintage finds and original baubles. But there’s more to this LA girl than meets the eye.
Liz funneled her love of California sunshine and combing estate sales (a goldmine for vintage and antique pieces) into a lifelong dream: taking a theme, a mood, or a signature object and transforming it into wearable art.
Free spirit Liz — who is inspired by “own life’s adventures”—allows her designs to “unfold organically”, translating into fanciful, bohemian and finely-made pieces. A typical Liz Law look could include hand-carved items melding with found and thrifted chains, repurposed items enjoy unexpected placement, and ultra-feminine lace twisted into Victorian and neo-Victorian creations.
Developing limited-edition jewelry in her studio, what we really love about Liz is that many of her pieces are one of a kind, and will never be made again.
Toosis
Since 2001, architect-cum-designer Pınar Sondal has been crafting Toosis pieces in Istanbul, and now she brings the mystique of the Middle East to Boticca.
Toosis designs take the cosmopolitan vibe of the city where continents collide, and set it on its ear with inspired, fresh details. Handmade in Pinar’s studio, it’s the craftsmanship that makes each piece stand out – such as hammered sterling silver dipped in bright 18K gold, or semi-precious gems sourced from the local bazaar.
Onyx, jade, quartz, and amethyst are a few of Pinar’s featured stones, and sometimes two or three are clustered together on a stunning keepsake ring or bracelet – as seen on her sister – the in-house model!
