(click on image to see larger version)Pamela Froman was recently interviewed by Brandon Roberts for JQ Magazine, and the 1 page Designer Profile, entitled "More Than Just a Crush" appears in May/June issue, out now! For those of you who don't subscribe to the jewelry industry magazine, I've transcribed the article below:
DESIGNER PROFILE
by Brandon Roberts
More Than Just a Crush
"Get Crushed" may be the catch phrase that rising star Pamela Froman uses to describe her hand-hammered, mixed-gold pieces, but it more aptly describes what celeb devotees (like Halle Berry and Eva Mendes) are feeling about the truly standout line.
Anyone visiting the Los Angeles studio that Pamela Froman shares with her photographer husband, Jay Lawrence Goldman, is immediately struck by the designer's warm personality, genuine enthusiasm for making jewelry, and the funkiness of her design aesthetic. Those same qualities are what have shaped her unique line of mixed-gold jewelry. Froman is a real designer's designer, meticulous about her craft and crazy (in a good way) about the details. She isn't tied to the trends; she simply listens closely to what her high-end customers want and, more importantly, envisions what they don't yet know they want. "I do whatever it is I like," she says simply, when asked about her design choices. "I would say I like my pieces to look like something you would find in a buried treasure chest somewhere in Europe, but have a hip - yet timeless - feel."
It's a winning tack. In short shrift, Froman has accumulated several prestigious jewelry industry awards, starting in 2006 with JCK's "Rising Star" nod. Last year*, she earned a "MJSA Vision Award for Jewelry Design" and Town & Country's [Couture Design Award] "Best In Gold" title for her one-of-a-kind Gothic Harlequin Cross. "It just blew me away that I won!" she exclaims, "And also to know that other designers had voted for me."
Insiders are clearly impressed. Duvall O'Steen of the World Gold Council said of Froman's work, "Pamela literally reinvented tri-color gold. Her innovative process for combining 18k mixed metals produces intriguing pieces that are truly unlike anything else on the market."
These kinds of accolades aren't the only thing drawing attention to Froman's stunning work, though. Turns out, the stars and their stylists are scooping up the line's diamond Headlight Hoops and Bangles as well as mixed-gold rings and wrist cuffs. "I do have a small celebrity following so far," acknowledges the designer humbly. Her client's names, however, are not small considering the likes of Debra Messing, Tyra Banks, Whoopi Goldberg, and Diane Lane. "Aside from winning awards," admits Froman, "my biggest thrill has been seeing pictures of Halle Berry wearing my Crushed Hoops everywhere!"
*Correction: Pamela won the MJSA Vision Award in 2009.
