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Welcome to Open Studio, a Racked feature where we explore the workspaces and showrooms of some of the city's most talented, up-and-coming designers.
I found that cat portrait in a thrift store in L.A. 10 years ago. There’s an inscription on the back that says, “In the event of my death, please give this portrait of my cat, Raja, to my good friend Beverly Winslow.” I had to give it a good home.
I always start out thinking I want a space to be clean and minimalistic. But when it comes time to actually implement my plans **poof!** every wall is covered, there are 34 plants strewn around and random things are hanging from the ceilings. I don’t know
One thing your jewelry bench should be is organized. Working with tiny things everyday will drive you crazy if your work area is unkempt. I usually end every day by cleaning up after myself.
That’s a framed picture of Hugh Grant in the movie Love Actually behind that killer portrait of my sister and I. What up 1988?!
Someone ordered a Ryan Gosling calendar as a joke because we needed a big calendar to get our schedule sorted. When it arrived, the actual 'calendar' was 1.5” x 4” in the bottom corner. Womp Womp. In the spirit of recycling, he now models our jewels for u
Each one of these burs and wheels manipulates metal differently - they polish, create settings, carve metal, clean edges and create different finishes.
These cuffs were designed in CAD and printed in wax. The wax was then invested and cast in silver so that I could work on it and make the most perfect master possible. Then that perfect piece was molded, labeled and stored at the casting house so that I c
Leigh cuff in mookaite and yellow turquoise ($415)
I do a lot of custom pieces in 3D CAD so I can get really creative and make sure that the details are perfect. It’s such an amazing program - I’ve been using it for about 3 years and only know the teensiest fraction of what it can really do. Even the pros
Catherine Alexander traded in the world of film and TV producing for jewelry design, and handcrafts all of the pieces for her brand Stanmore straight out of her apartment. "My studio is in my house which can be a blessing and a curse. While you can't beat the commute, it's hard to 'leave your work at the office' when you're office is down the hall. I feel guilty when I turn on a movie after dinner because I know I could just as easily be working."
Her collections center around stones like opal, turquoise, and quartz that are accented and structured with metals like sterling silver and 14k gold. Highlights from her most recent collection are in the gallery below, but Alexander's keeping quiet about what's next. "I'm so excited about my spring/summer 2015 line I can't even stand it. It has to do with confetti and the ocean and that's all I'll say.
Her studio space is dotted with leafy plants and succulents, photos (including a framed photo of Hugh Grant in Love, Actually and family portrait from the late '80s), and vivid color swatches and fashion editorials. There's also a Ryan Gosling calendar that's serving more than one function.