Finding My Creative Calling: From Lingerie to Jewelry

It's funny how the things you love as a child are the same things that light you up your whole life. For those of us that are multi-passionate, it can be hard to own our identities as artists in a world that tells us forging a life as a creative is unsafe. I have always wanted to create beauty in the world, and while my creative path has been long and meandering, I realize now it has always been leading me to this point. The medium may be different, but the thread of fascination clearly runs through each reinvention.

In my 20s I moved sight-unseen to Chicago to apply to The School of The Art Institute. I didn't know anyone, and basically arrived with a portfolio, a sewing machine, and my cat. Luckily I was admitted and proved to my young self I could do anything I set my mind and my heart to. In pursuit of my BFA I found my creative voice, representing the figure while exploring themes of gestural movement and the dynamic tension between revealing and concealing. 

While studying art, I also worked at the Chicago Historical Society in their costume department. It was here I became besotted with vintage couture and jewelry, primarily from the 1920s -1950s. As someone who sewed her own wardrobe, I was fascinated by the couture dressmaking techniques I discovered. While I was drawing and sculpting the figure from life models, I was also thinking about how garment construction created a figurative sculpture of silk. It just needed the body to flesh it out.

When my kids were young, I did the second big leap of my life and launched my lingerie brand, Toad Lillie. I thought it would be fun to make pasties and garter belts to sell on Etsy which brand new at the time. I unexpectedly found myself an indie-darling in the lingerie world when small, handmade brands were beginning to emerge. As a self-taught seamstress with no fashion design experience and my mom's old Singer sewing machine hauled from Los Angeles, I created a commercially successful and distinctive luxury brand. My work was a nod to the vintage couture I loved, with lots of ruffles, ribbons, beading, and hand painted textiles, and was designed to empower the wearer with confidence.

As an artist I have always searched for meaning and emotional resonance in my work. Now, in a second (or third!) chapter renaissance, I have found my true path to purpose, creating beauty that celebrates the transformative power of adornment. My sculptural jewelry brand blends the figurative and decorative themes of my work in a fresh, distinctive way. Sensual and gestural form in the shape of ribbons about to be undone create intriguing negative spaces where the body interacts with the metal. My creative process allows me to explore the sweet spot between intentionality and spontaneity through manipulating wax which then undergoes a lengthy iterative process. The result is molten metal ribbons that mirror the luster of silk. 

These are statement making pieces that amplify individuality and spark conversations. They are meant to help you unfurl your own power and invite you to tell your own story. I hope they inspire you to create your own path to purpose and to live your most authentic and radiant life.