Monday, December 22, 2014

Designer Profile of Pamela Froman by Broken English Jewelry

This is the gorgeous header image used for Pamela's interview on the Broken English blog, jewelry by Pamela Froman.


Broken English is a very cool jewelry store, with locations in both Los Angeles and New York, that we are proud to work with!  Recently, Chris and Lucy (from the Broken English blog) visited Pamela's Los Angeles studio to interview the designer and photograph the beautiful space she works in as well as some of her fabulous fine jewelry creations.

Click here to see all the beautiful photography on the Broken English blog.

 
They also had Pamela fill out a questionnaire by hand (see above.) You can see a larger version of the handwritten answers (complete with scrolly doodles!) on the Broken English blog. But, since it's hand-written I decided to transcribe the questionnaire for you here in case you had trouble reading it in the original format:

Name:
Pamela Froman

Occupation:
Creative Soul & Jewelry Designer

I've Always Wanted To:
Swim with dolphins & design housewares & furniture & watches.

I'm Inspired By:
Architecture, strong women designers & amazing stones with cool inner dialogue.

My Favorite Place Is:
Eze or St. Paul De Vence in the South of France, or cuddling with my son & husband watching a movie.

Style For Me Is:
Individuality, someone who marches to the beat of their own drum!

My Fondest Memory Is:
Living in Paris, designing jewelry for the top couturiers, like Courreges, Valentino, Carita, etc. and immersing myself in the culture.

I Can't Live Without:
My friends and family (& Dark Chocolate Mint M&Ms)

My Greatest Love Is:
My beautiful, sweet, funny son, Hudson Elijah.

I'm Most Proud Of:
My son!

The Most Important Lesson I've Learned Is:
To listen to what someone has to say and then make your own decision & trust your gut!

Right Now I Am:
CRAZY-BUSY

My Future Is:
Designing more than jewelry: housewares, furniture, maybe watches and handbags.

It's A Miracle That:
I made my son and that the earth produces incredible gems.

My Style Icons Are:
Audrey Hepburn, CoCo Chanel, Alexander McQueen

Always Remember That:
It takes as much effort to be kind as it does to be rude.

The Best Thing That Happened To Me Is:
My son Hudson & winning the Couture Town & Country Magazine Award in Gold!

The Best Decision I Made Is:
I know, redundant, but to have my son!

Wednesday, December 17, 2014

An Interview with Pamela Froman in Prism Magazine


 
Megan Whitmire of AGTA interviewed Pamela for a beautiful 2-page article in the latest issue of Prism Magazine!
Megan Whitmire asked Pamela some really great questions in this interview! These two pages will give you insight into Pamela's design aesthetics (like, who she has in mind while designing, her favorite gemstones to work with and the first piece of jewelry she ever made) as well as a few personal tidbits you probably didn't know (like, what she can't leave the house without and the surprising job she had during high school!) You can read the interview in the digital version of Prism, or continue reading below where I've transcribed the interview for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!

 
1.     Do you have any jewelry on right now?
Yes, my Ombre Cleopatra ring, my Eternal Scroll ring on my thumb, one of my opal rings and my Ombre Headlight Hoops.

2.     What is your favorite gemstone to work with?
I really love all gemstones but my favorites are the ones that have a great inner dialogue: like all types of opals, rutilated quartz (especially the platinum-color rutile!) rainbow moonstone and labradorite.  My other favorites right now, purely for their color, are purple-blue Tanzanite and vibrant blue Paraiba Tourmaline melee.  Oh! And also Malaia Zircon, a natural pinky-orangey-brown colored stone, because it pairs so well with my 18k pink & yellow “Ombre” collection.

3.     What is your favorite gemstone to wear?
Pretty much the same as above: Boulder Opals with Paraiba, Malaia Zircons and Platinum Rutilated Quartz… it really just depends on what color mood I’m in, whether I want to stand out with vibrant color, or go more “neutral” with either warm or cool tones.

4.     What is your best creative setting?
I think my Ombre pieces that “fade” from a Malaia Zircon center to 18k pink & yellow gold are some of my most creative settings… but as I write this I realize you probably meant a place where I feel creative. LOL!  It can be while taking a walk along a beautiful path at a resort… or relaxing on my sofa listing to music… or admiring a building with amazing architecture… or sometimes things just appear in my mind while lying in bed!

5.     What is your favorite memory of AGTA?
I don’t think I have just one favorite memory, I’ve got quite a few! I always love the moment when I find a specific stone that inspires me!  And while shopping for that “It” stone, I love running into friends and colleagues in the industry, excitedly discussing what stones we’ve seen or just bought. And of course I have fond memories of whenever I’ve won a Spectrum Award and get to go the gala to accept it!

6.     Do you have someone in mind when you create a piece of jewelry?
Not a specific person but, I do keep my ideal customer in mind: My Ideal Customer is a person that has a mind of their own, wants something that’s special but easy to wear with just about any outfit, and is not interested in something that looks like what everyone else has.

7.     What kind of team have you surrounded yourself with to make you successful?
My Husband is an amazing photographer, his professional shots of my jewelry have helped my brand image immensely, and my assistant/right-hand woman Jilienne has been an integral part of everything that has helped my business grow.

8.     What is your biggest accomplishment so far?
Besides my wonderful 9 year old son Hudson… I think achieving a recognized look is a huge accomplishment in this industry.  And if we’re talking awards, although I’ve won quite a few, the one that still stands out in my mind is my first Town & Country Couture Design Award for Best of Gold early in my career when I was still a relatively unknown designer. The other Finalists were H. Stern and Calgaro, I felt like an ingĂ©nue beating out Meryl Streep and Cate Blanchett for the Best Actress Oscar!

9.     Who has been the biggest influence on your life? What lessons did that person teach you?
I can point to two people who have had the biggest influence on my professional life. First: my mother. She was a shoe designer and sculptor who pushed me to go to FIT and made me draw everyday. She helped me have an appreciation for art and encouraged me to find my own vision. The second person is one of my close friends who started off as a mentor: Erica Courtney. She really was very generous with her knowledge and helped guide me through the jewelry industry. She taught me that there is room for everyone and if one designer is doing well than we all can do well. Both of these remarkable women encouraged me to push through my fears and follow my passion.

10.  What is something you can’t leave your house without?
My keys, my rings (Cleopatra Ring & Eternal Scroll thumb ring) and lip gloss.

11.  What was the first piece of jewelry you ever made?
It was for a project at FIT: a sterling silver and copper geometric modern pin with hematite and pearl. (I originally attended FIT for Fashion Design but fell in love with jewelry making while I was there and changed my major.)

12.  What song best describes your work ethic?
The Beatles “8 Days A Week”

13.  Pick two celebrities as your best friends. Why those two?
Steve Carell: I have a major crush on him. I find him soo funny and I think we would laugh a lot together.
Sandra Bullock: She seems nice, funny, sweet and intelligent. Plus, she would rock my jewelry!

14.  What is one thing people would be surprised to know about you?
I was a magician’s assistant in high school, so I know a lot of magical secrets…

15.  Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
I’ve been planning to expand into fine home goods and furniture for quite a while now, I expect to have established that branch of my business within the next 10 years. I might even have my own store, too!
 

Tuesday, December 9, 2014

Pamela Froman is coming back to Houston!


It's been a year since Pamela last visited Cotton Club Collection in Houston and she's looking forward to seeing all the fabulous Texan women who collect her pieces! She's bringing some gorgeous new one-of-a-kind pieces with her (opals and tourmaline and platinum rutile, oh my!) as well as some signature standards like her always-in-style Headlight Hoops and multi-color "Get A Crush" Stack Rings.

Pamela will be in the store for three days to make your holiday shopping easier.  If you're looking to add to your wish list, come in on Thursday afternoon for the preview and bring/send your husband into the store on Friday or Saturday to pick up the gift he'll know you'll love!  Of course you can shop for yourself as well, Pamela loves working with women to help them find the perfect gift for themselves! Whatever your shopping style, Pamela looks forward to seeing you at Cotton Club!