Stalked: Brianna Lamar, Jewellery Designer

Brianna Lamar is an artist & designer from Ojai, California working in fine art, jewellery & textile surface design.  After graduating in Fashion Design from the Fashion Institute of Technology in NYC she then spent a year in the Italian lands studying at Polimoda in Florence. 

As I am about to go on holiday in April I am at the moment looking for anything that would look cool on the beach with swimwear and this designer seriously caught my eye with her latest collection. I think you'll agree all her work is a must have for this summer!

Why did you decide to concentrate on unconventional jewellery forms? 

I've never personally been one to follow convention in any aspect of my life.  I find my greatest fulfilment from creating something authentic and intuitive.  I feel that's the essence of what it means to be a designer.  Also, I have a background in fashion design, so the idea of working with the entire form of the body to create pieces that are draped to fit and flatter the human figure is natural and intriguing to me

Why did you decide to get into fashion/jewellery design?

I have always been a very visual person and had a natural sense for art, design and style.  Fashion is a way to explore and express who you are, and I suppose that has always been of paramount importance to me.  Also, fashion is your most personal and immediate environment, shaping how you are embodied and engaged in your moment and I find that not only fascinating but an important component of creating a cohesive sense of self-experience.  I have a deep appreciation for authentic beauty, quality craftsmanship, conscious evolution and lucid daydreaming.  Fashion is a way for me to bring a voice to those values and offer something that empowers others to connect with their own.

The jewelry focus started out as a part-time plan, but it slowly seduced me in deeper and deeper, finally becoming the foundation for building my brand.  I was lucky to have access to a plethora of affordable courses 45 min outside of town.  I realized I had a unique opportunity to learn a craft whereby I could create pieces that could become personal totems having the potential to last lifetimes.  Working in metal is magical.  I'm starting to work more with stones and crystals now and this is exciting to me as I have always been mildly wildly obsessed with them.  I'm also looking to work with leather more, and part of why I chose this path to create what I call "adornments" is that I'm inspired by the idea of combining different natural elements together to construct wearable forms.

What is your latest collection about?

"Elevation" is a collection of chokers, necklaces and body chains featuring open channels of chain elongating the back and the torso.  The Elevation Collection is both minimal and feminine, designed to flatter the female figure for a uniquely modern, sexy and elegant look.  Energetically it is constructed to inspire women to open their own inner channels of divine power, creativity, intuition and lucidity.  

What inspires you?

My designs are inspired by an alloy of structure and symbolism.  It's the core elements of line, shape, value, color and material that inspire me, along with mystical symbolism that is either intuitively channeled or of ancient origin.  Particularly I am interested in balancing lush feminine complexity with strong masculine minimalism to craft a design that is elegant, powerful, elevated yet accessible with a dark-edge aesthetic that feels personal.  I'm inspired by the figure of the adorned; the work is not made to simply be an objet d'art, it is crafted to accent the person in a way that is magnetically attractive.  I love it when my customers tell me that my work feels so good to wear.  That's what I'm aiming for.  In terms of external sources, I find inspiration most often in Nature, including the spirit and landscape of the Ojai Valley that surrounds my studio, vintage fashion, industrial antiques, the arts of ancient world cultures, and tribal textiles and artifacts.

What has been your best moment since starting up your brand?

I'd have to say getting accepted into the Not Just A Label community.  I have a lot of respect and admiration for that community and organization.  It was a marker of personal achievement I had in mind for a long time.  When I finally submitted and got the "yes", that felt pretty amazing.  

Five items you can't live without?

My sketchbook and micron pen

Grassfed Butter

Nature Access (I know that's not an item but I can't live without it!)

My one and only silver cast cactus skeleton pendant

My Grimes playlist

www.briannalamar.com