Jewelry

Jewelry Designer Rachel Loren On Culture Clashes, Nostalgia, Art And The Craving Of Gold - Forbes

The women of Loren Stewart make cool jewelry, probably the coolest.

The founding trio, Rachel Loren, Satya Stewart, and Annah Stewart-Zafrani first started on their jewellery path in 2009 by upcycling vintage beauties with quality materials at the very heart of their label.

Fast forward and you’ll find core pieces that have a forever-appeal such as the curb chains seen throughout, from dainty rings to in yo’ face bracelets (we want) that have a hint of the industrial.

Their love for vintage remains and this is seen through retro pop culture iconography in the form of poppin’ signet rings. Then there’s the tag range and the pearl line...okay, our shopping cart is getting bigger. The best thing thing though, is that wherever your vibe you can find something to suit as the pieces have been specially designed to mix, match and effortlessly throw on. 

All Loren Stewart jewelry is crafted from 10Kt and 14Kt gold, sterling silver, and of course expect precious asemi-precious gems (the jade is to die for and has a ‘60s charm about it).

Find the brand in top tier stores globally including Barneys New York, Net-a-Porter and Browns Fashion.

Felicity Carter: What was your first fashionable memory?

Rachel Loren: My Great Aunt Pearl was so glamorous and sophisticated, and I loved raiding her closet as a little girl. I remember how thrilling it was to try on her sequined gowns and Pucci scarves and go through her trunkful of costume and fine jewelry. Exploring and playing dress-up in people’s closets was my favorite past-time. They were like creative playgrounds where you could peek into someone’s past. A person’s wardrobe is something so intimate, and I always found that intriguing.

FC: How, when, why did you get into the industry?

RL: Right before I turned thirty, something in me started to crave real gold. But the fine jewelry available at the time just didn’t make sense with my taste, my lifestyle, or my budget. So I decided to melt down some of my old jewelry, and I made my first signet ring. From there, I just fell in love with the process. It’s so gratifying to come up with an idea, and then be able to turn it into something tangible that others can experience.

FC: What influences your brand?

RL: As a designer, inspiration comes from so many places– my travels, everyday objects in my tool shed, an art exhibition, music I’m rediscovering, or just personal memories. Nostalgia has become a major theme for our brand. We want to evoke the magic of the elegant heirloom jewelry your grandma may have worn, while also paying homage to the underground movements and style vanguards we looked up to as teenagers. We love referencing pop culture from the 80s and 90s in particular. That was a formative era for me, and such a creatively and politically dynamic time. That culture clash is still shaping fashion today and is something represented in our jewelry. We want to honor the tradition and integrity of fine materials but reinvent and recontextualize them to be something completely new. We explore that through different themes and stores within each season. This upcoming collection is inspired by the modern minimalism of artists like Ellsworth Kelly and Alexander Calder.

FC: What is luxury to you?

RL: To me, luxury is about creating an experience of effortless enjoyment. That kind of value isn’t defined by a price tag, brand name, or level of exclusivity. Time and peace of mind are some of the greatest luxuries you can have. Things like a late-night conversation over home-cooked food, the patina of my leather work bag, or the familiar weight of the gold chain I wear every day– those are the experiences that feel the most luxurious to me. Oftentimes, the unattainable image and formality of some luxury items make them harder to enjoy. When you experience something of quality that still feels authentic to you, there’s an ease to it that’s even more indulgent. And when you find those go-to jewelry pieces that will last a lifetime, it feels like a celebration of yourself every time you put them on. That’s my idea of luxury.

FC: Who is your customer?

RL: Our customer has the relaxed confidence that comes with a strong sense of personal style. Someone who experiments with style, but values longevity and individuality over trends or status.

Our woman is independent, selective, and self-styled. She is multi-faceted and expressive, striking a balance between classic and alternative, so versatility is a must. She may wear her jewelry to work, while at the gym, and afterwards when she goes out for the night. She is investing in and curating her own jewelry collection and looks for pieces that can adapt to her lifestyle.

FC: Tell us about the process from sketch to production...

RL: When we design a new collection, we start with the materials. We look at what has been consistent and cohesive and let those materials inspire the first designs in an organic way. From there, we come back to the pieces we’re drawn to for more inspiration. We never try to forecast trends when we develop a collection. We start with materials and pieces we love and use the styles and images they evoke to build the overall theme.

Each design is typically sketched, rendered in CAD, and then printed in wax to create the samples. Some samples are straight forward, but others might take months to develop. We try to limit waste and be as resourceful as possible with our existing materials, especially during the development process. Fortunately, the process of deconstructing old pieces often inspires new designs. New designs sometimes emerge from a mistake or experiment on a sample for another design. Some designs will carry over across different seasons and capsules with new variations.

During production, we work closely with local manufacturers who handcraft every piece. Our IDs and disks are crafted from inertia punch presses, and our chains are custom-made and hand-tooled with vintage machines. We prioritize innovation in our design process, but we opt for traditional techniques in our manufacturing process. We want to preserve the character that handmade, small-batch production adds to a piece.

FC: Do you have any materials that you particularly love to work with?

RL: We only use fine metals and precious & semi-precious gemstones, so all of our materials have a naturally luxurious quality that never gets old. I love the way real gold feels, it’s like it just melts into the skin and becomes part of you. I’m also constantly in awe of gemstones– especially the way that they form, and how their unique beauty comes from so many different elements of that natural process.

FC: What has been your career highlight to date?

RL: When we first started in 2009, I was creating jewelry because I couldn’t find it anywhere else. People didn’t know there was a market for high-quality everyday jewelry, so luxury retailers didn’t offer it. When Barneys first started carrying Loren Stewart, the “demi-fine” jewelry wasn’t an established category. Bringing the line to stores like Barneys, Net-A-Porter and Nordstrom was a significant achievement. We were able to create something we had always wanted, and then make it available at major retailers we’d always loved. The demi-fine jewelry space has grown so much since then, and finally, now there are options for people who want to invest in their everyday jewelry.

FC: What's the best piece of advice that you've been given when it comes to handling the fashion industry?

RL: Don’t be afraid to pick up the phone and ask questions. It’s all about relationships, so keep an open dialogue as much as possible. Try to make genuine connections and take every opportunity to learn.

See more from the brand at www.lorenstewart.com.