ClandestineChic » interviews http://www.clandestinechic.com Sun, 05 Feb 2012 20:24:34 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Interview with jewelry designer Natha Perkins http://www.clandestinechic.com/2009/06/01/interview-with-jewelry-designer-natha-perkins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=interview-with-jewelry-designer-natha-perkins http://www.clandestinechic.com/2009/06/01/interview-with-jewelry-designer-natha-perkins/#comments Mon, 01 Jun 2009 05:22:45 +0000 clandestinechic http://clandestinechic.wordpress.com/?p=439

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I have had the great pleasure of interviewing jewelry designer, Natha Perkins.   Natha’s line, Lucious Metals, features her unique, handmade jewelry, including her popular Kelly Bella line. Natha began making her own jewerly to fulfill her wish of  finding specific jewelry pieces in stores.  Now, Natha’s own creations start off as metal sheets and wires [...]

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I have had the great pleasure of interviewing jewelry designer, Natha Perkins.   Natha’s line, Lucious Metals, features her unique, handmade jewelry, including her popular Kelly Bella line.

Natha began making her own jewerly to fulfill her wish of  finding specific jewelry pieces in stores.  Now, Natha’s own creations start off as metal sheets and wires and are hand crafted to create a new, unique piece that has meaning behind it.

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What made you decide you wanted to be a jewelry designer?

I love working with metal- it’s so hard yet so forgiving and you can almost always come up with cool solutions if you mess up your first idea up!  Jewelry creation is a natural progression with metal.  Making jewelry is lovely because you get to make beautiful objects that are destined to become treasures.

What is your background?

I didn’t discover my passion for metal and jewelry design until my mid 20′s.  When I did though, I went to art school in Denver to study it.  I am always taking workshops on new processes and I teach workshops as well.

If you could explain, as much as you’d like, your process for making your jewelry?

Almost all of the metal work in my pieces start it’s life as metal sheets and wires.  I use lots of cool processes to transform it into adornment including a big torch, various chemicals, blades, hammers and compression.  It makes me feel like such a bad ass- I get to play with fire and acid everyday!

What are your biggest inspirations for your creations?

Currently, my biggest inspiration comes from words.  We have so many luscious words in our language- I love how one word even, can conjure such vivid imagery and make you feel a certain way just by reading it.  The Hearts and Wings and Flames line has good examples of how I like to use words.

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In what was do you feel that your jewelry is unique and stands out?
My jewelry has many unexpected elements and  little secrets.  Like I said earlier, I like to incorporate words in almost all of my pieces.  For example, every piece in the Jewel Collection has a hidden word ( like “joy” or “dream”) or a hidden design (like vines or stars) on it’s backside.  I love little unexpected details and elements that make the piece beautiful and intriguing from all sides.
I was reading one testimonial, and someone wrote that your jewelry is “unusually based on celebrating life, instead of angst”, and I definitely agree that it shows through from the colors to the shapes.  I was wondering if you could give me your thoughts on that and how you feel about expressing that concept in your work?

I believe that we have the power to bring what we want and need into our lives.  I like to try and assist in that process, so for instance lets say you want
to be reminded about unconditional love, well if it says those words right there on your jewelry that you wear every day, how can you help but be reminded of it?  Jewelry really holds a lot of power and has a lot of significance in our culture and history- I love being a part of that.
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As an independent designer, what do you find are the pros and cons?

I like life as an independent designer because I can do things the way I want to do them!  There are a lot of hats to wear though so you have to make sure that you are spending as much time on things like marketing and sales as you are on designing and creation.

What advice and tips do you have for anyone looking to buy jewelry?

Make sure it feels good on- no sharp edges or stones.  Always buy yourself a piece of jewelry when you’re on vacation or for something momentous.  That way your jewelry box can be a little box of memories and pretty objects!

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What is your overall personal style?

Despite the fact that my nails are a mess and I wear a dirty apron and respirator to work in, I am a girly girl.  I love clothes and shoes.  I like to wear unexpected combinations together like a slip as a dress over jeans or striped socks sticking out of tall boots.  It makes your day more fun!

Please let everyone know all of the places they can buy your jewelry?

Luscious Metals by Natha Perkins is available for purchase in my online store at www.NathaPerkins.com
also at Etsy and Smashing Darling.  For a list of brick and Mortar stores, follow this link.

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