The Aeroflot Russian Airlines magazine interviewed me for their on board magazine. (Isn't the model on the cover beautiful?!)
Now of course the article is in Russian. So I decided to include the interview questions with my answers. I don't know how much they used in it, but here is what they asked;
• Did you always want to be a jewelry designer? How did
you start your career?
I began making jewelry as gifts for friends and
relatives white attending the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York for
Fashion Design. The gifts were so
well received that I made a small collection to sell at craft shows and street
fairs and, at one of these shows, a large costume jewelry company approached me
to design for them; I took this as a sign, and decided to change my major at
FIT to Jewelry Design. After graduation,
I traveled around Europe for the summer and fell in love with Paris! I ended up living there for 3 years,
designing couturier jewelry collections for Courreges, Cacharel, Carita, and
Guy Larouche.
• At what point did you decide to create your own brand?
As much as I enjoyed the challenge of creating for
renowned designers, I needed to forge my own artistic path. I began creating pieces on the side for
myself, and decided to enter the 2006 JCK Rising Star competition (which came
with a booth at the JCK trade show in Las Vegas.) I won the competition, which labeled me a “Rising Star” in
the jewelry industry, and Pamela Froman Fine Jewelry was officially born.
• What makes your jewelry different from other brands?
How did you develop your signature style?
I think that my special 18k gold colors, and the
way I mix the colors together in one piece, is what really distinguishes my
brand. I spent a lot of time
working with a metallurgist to develop these custom alloys, before launching my
line. I also experimented with
various tools to achieve the irregular texture I call "Crushed", and
I had to create my own special finishing-wheel to get the right combination of
not-too-matte-not-too-shiny finish that I wanted to achieve for my
collection. All of this, combined
with amazing unique gemstones, makes my jewelry stand out.
• How would you describe the style of your jewelry?
Versatile, Understated Glamour: I design with
wearability in mind. I want my
pieces to be worn, not locked away in a safe, and I believe my “Crushed”
texture and satin finish paired with high quality diamonds, lends an
understated glamour to the pieces that make them incredibly wearable; they can
just as easily accessorize a pair of jeans as they can an evening gown.
• Do you do
individual orders? Have you ever had any unusual ones?
I have done a few… usually it’s a custom engagement
ring, but the oddest request I ever received was from someone who wanted me to
plate their extracted wisdom tooth in my signature 18k green gold, and turn it
into a necklace for their boyfriend!
• Do you think trends in jewelry are as important as
trends in fashion?
There are definitely times when a piece of jewelry
becomes more popular because of current fashion trends, such as the color of
the gemstone being similar to Pantone's "Color of the Year", or maybe
the style of the piece is reminiscent of an era being represented on the
runways. But, I do think trends
are less important in fine jewelry, maybe because gold and gemstones are longer-lasting
than cloth and leather; I design my pieces to be timeless, not trendy, so they
can be collected, passed down, and appreciated for generations.
• Which materials and stones do you like to work with?
I work primarily in 18k
gold, and I feel that’s what I’m most known for. I also use 22k and Platinum from time to time, and I have
just started working in Palladium.
I love irregular surfaces, which is why most of my Collection is textured
with a special technique I call “Crushed” (I use too many tools to simply call it
hammered.) Combined with a Satin finish, this Crushed texture gives a
much softer, more organic feel to the metal.
When it comes to gemstones, I believe
“semi-precious” is a misnomer; all natural gemstones are precious to me. I especially love stones with
irregularities that make them unique works of art, like labradorite, rainbow
moonstone, opal, and tourmaline. I
also love working with “rough” or “rustic” diamonds for the same reason:
they’re so unique! However, the
colorless diamonds I use are held to a higher standard: they are all
brilliant-cut, F-G color, VS quality or better, so even the smallest diamonds
have fabulous sparkle!
• Which pieces are your bestsellers?
My "Crushed Headlight" Hoops (in all
sizes), "Cleopatra Sparkle" Ring, and multi-color "Get A
Crush" Stackable Rings continue to be my best sellers, and I feel these
are staples of my collection.
Also, my one-of-a-kind and limited edition "Scroll Crush Cap"
earrings have been very popular these last few years, especially in Green Onyx
and Rainbow Moonstone, as well as my one-of-a-kind cocktail rings!
• Where do you get inspiration for your pieces?
I am inspired by Old-world European architecture,
especially scrolly wrought iron gates, and the beautiful domes of St.
Petersburg. I also find
inspiration in fabrics and textures, and often the gemstones I choose influence
the design.
• Your mother is a sculptor so being surrounded by art
your whole life must have been an influence on you. In what ways?
Yes, I was always surrounded by art
and artists, which was wonderful!
In addition to being a sculptor, my mother was a fashion and shoe
designer when I was growing up, and she influenced my decision to go to Fashion
Institute of Technology in New York for Fashion Design, (although, as I
mentioned before, I later changed my major to Jewelry Design.)
• Do you believe that jewelry can bring good or bad
luck?
I don’t know if it's necessarily luck, but if a
person is drawn to a piece of jewelry strongly enough to buy it, then I believe
that good feeling will stay with them while they wear it.
• Do you have any favorite pieces of jewelry that you
wear all the time? Do you generally wear a lot of jewelry?
On a daily basis, I wear 4 pieces of jewelry: My
2" 18k Yellow & Pink "Ombre Headlight Hoop" Earrings; the
matching "Ombre Cleopatra Sparkle" Ring; and my 18k Yellow
"Eternal Scroll Sparkle" Ring, which I wear on my thumb; the 4th
piece changes, usually it's a fabulous new one-of-a-kind ring or cuff that I want
to enjoy before it sells, sometimes a necklace.
• How would you describe your personal style?
I dress in Black a lot and would say my style is "cool
chic", but my jewelry definitely brings the outfit together.
• What kind of women wear your jewelry?
The women who wear my jewelry are confident, with a strong
sense of their own personal style, regardless of age. They each want to be seen as a unique individual, and their
choice of jewelry reflects that desire.
In
short: If everyone’s wearing it, they're not interested.
• Who are your celebrity clients? Does having a strong
celebrity following help you a lot in your work?
Halle Berry, Pamela Anderson, Diane Lane, Debra Messing,
Whoopi Goldberg, Norah Jones, and Eva Mendes, are a few who have worn or
purchased my work. I'll admit,
it's thrilling to see images online of Halle wearing my hoops all over Los
Angeles, but I don't know whether or not that's increased sales of my work to
the general public. I'd like to
think my customer's individual sense of style doesn't need to be validated by
celebrity endorsement.
• In which parts of the word is your jewelry sold? And
in which countries is it most popular?
My jewelry is sold all over the United States,
parts of Canada, France and Russia.
My most fabulous pieces (glamourous earrings, cocktail rings and
statement necklaces) have been more popular in Russia, while the more casual
day-to-night pieces are the best-sellers in the U.S.
• What are your plans for the future in terms of the
collections and expansion of your brand?
For the collection, I have been expanding my
popular "Ombre" color-way (a subtle combination of 18k Pink &
Yellow), as well as adding more expensive gemstones, like Tanzanite and amazing
specimens of Australian Opal. As
for my brand, it has always been my plan to expand into a complete lifestyle
brand: Pamela Froman Luxury, which will include designer home goods like light
fixtures, handles for drawers and cabinets, perhaps handbags and belts, and
I've always dreamed of collaborating with a watchmaker… so keep an eye out for
Pamela Froman Luxury in the coming years!
