IAMTHETREND: We Interview Gypsy Warrior Jewelry

Sarah Seemiller — Fri, 05 Mar 2010 18:02:35 +0000

Michel Bezoza is the creator of a very successful jewelry line called Gypsy Warrior. Having both a BFA in Visual Art and a BA in Art History, her keen eye to create trendy jewelry has not gone unnoticed, with hundreds of pieces that have been sold already!

I love how she uses simple styles and charms to create cute and affordable wearable art! A few of my favorite pieces would be anything with a key or an owl on it! Who doesn’t love owls?!? All of her pieces are super affordable ranging from about 6 dollars for a pair of earrings to 9-15 dollars for a necklace. I recently did an interview with Michel to get to know her and her Gypsy Warrior jewelry line a little bit better!

When did you start your business and how did it come about?

Gypsy Warrior started in the Fall of 2008. Ever since I can remember, I had little boxes and bins filled with beads/crafts and for hours I would sit in my room as a young girl and make treasures for everyone. As I got older, I would host little craft parties with my sisters, friends and family, teaching them about fun new things they could do with beads, charms, wire and string. I joke now how I am doing the same thing today (at 25) that I was doing at 10 years old, just with a more cultured influence.

Where did the name Gypsy Warrior come from?

I love traveling, collecting things wherever I go; thrift stores and vintage shops, sea glass at the beach, small knickknacks in random cities, that the idea of the a ‘Gypsy’ really surrounded the bases of a lot of my designs. Warrior has such a strong, independent, travel savvy connotation that the two words seem to embody my creations and the women that should wear it.

What got you interested in making jewelry?

I was always wearing fun jewelry, finding different charms and putting it together for myself; it was natural for me to make jewelry because I just started making things I would love to wear.

What are your favorite materials to work with?

My materials are always evolving and growing because I am constantly learning new things. Right now, I am enjoying mixing different metals, silver with gold, brass with bronze. I love long necklaces and creating the flow of the right colored metals with fun charms and vintage lockets (love, love, love lockets!).

What inspires you to come up with new designs/pieces?

I’ve being making art and studying art forever. Living in the NYC area makes it really easy to be inspired by my environment; there is so much culture everywhere. Museums or galleries, music, other artists
or adventures to near by cities and towns, thrift and vintage stores… I really am constantly inspired by everything; I think it will be a long time before I have any creative roadblocks.

I saw that you do a lot of business, how do you keep up with making new pieces and getting all of your orders out?

I am super fortunate that my creations have been so well accepted and that I have an amazing sister who is my right hand. She comes into my studio every day at 9 and she does the packaging and shipping. We send out about 100+ items a week, and have a great system together. The 30+ hours a week she puts in packaging the items, is the additional time I have to work on new designs, stock old designs, take
pictures, update my websites, etc.

How do you feel that your educational background has influenced or enhanced, if at all, the work that you do?

I value my education so much! I have a Bachelors in Painting and a Bachelors in Art History. I learned so much through both those majors. They both have been the basis of my inspiration.

Do you have any advice for someone wanting to open up his or her own online shop/store?

Start small. Don’t overwhelm yourself. I started with 5 items, then 10 items… and so on.

What do you love the most about your life/career right now?

Love the most? I love what I do. I love making and creating things. I feel so lucky that I can wake up each day and go into my studio and spend the day making fun treasures for people all over the world. I have such great customers that have been so supportive.
Lastly, what album/artist are you listening to the most lately?

I listen to tons of music, but recently my go to music: The World we Knew, Minus the Bear, and Gaslight Anthem

Check out the full line at their Etsy Shop!

Thanks for reading this IAMTHETREND Article!

IAMTHETREND: Nine Pieces of Art You Can Wear That Aren’t T-Shirts

Blaire Bommer — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 18:33:35 +0000

1. An Amanda Wachob tattoo

http://www.amandawachobtattoo.com/
These are a little more permanent than the rest of this list, but I couldn’t help myself. Her modern tattoo designs, sans the typical thick-black lines, set her into a whole new world of tattoo design. And it is no doubt a bold move to get one of her amazing abstract designs.

2. Urbanears

http://www.urbanears.com
You don’t have to be a DJ or a college student to fall in love with these headphones. These things come in all the colors of the rainbow, so now you can match your headphones to all your favorite t-shirts.

3. Dirty Pretty Things

http://www.dptjewelry.com
A personal favorite of mine, the crew over at Dirty Pretty Things really knows how to tug on all the tough-girl heart strings. Affordable and utterly cool, you need to rush out to add one of the amazing pieces of art jewelry to your collection before everyone catches on to this trend.

4. Studio Dong

http://www.etsy.com/shop/studioDONG
Artist Nick Dong plays with shape and style with these beautiful hand made introspective rings. No need to be flashy on the outside, you get to keep all the flash and style to yourself. Dong designs the rings this way on purpose, so you feel the energy of the gems by yourself – and no one else will know where your secret glow is coming from.

5. The Invisible by Andreie Chaves

http://www.yatzer.com
If you’ve ever seen Lady GaGa’s outfits and said to yourself “I can pull that off!” then these shoes belong to you. The Invisible Shoe embodies the current trends in fashion, design, and art. Plus, who wouldn’t want to get to know the trendy soul who could wear these with no hesitation? Check out Andreia Chaves’ other footwear concepts and bask in the glory of her imagination.

6. Killspencer Messenger Bag

http://www.killspencer.com
You don’t have to travel by bike to fall in love with this bag. KILLSPENCER makes all their bags in the USA and uses materials “used in combat” to put them all together. So not only do you have a great looking, easy travel bag hanging on your back – but it also protects your computer and business documents from all sorts of weather, including fire. Each KILLSPENCER product comes with an attached strap that attached to a wall mount you can place anywhere in your home. So there, it’s hanging on the wall, now it’s art.

7. Kiel Mead Jewelry

http://www.kielmead.com
Try making jewelry that’s original, recycled, and cool enough for boys and girls. Try being Kiel Mead. Kiel [pronounced “Kyle”] works with more than just jewelry, and at 24 he’s already had his work featured in over 15 magazines and numerous galleries (including MoMA). Plus, how bad do you want to wear a Cadillac key as a ring?

8. Ariane Hartmann The Best Place brooch

http://www.ariane-hartmann.de
German Artist Ariane Hartmann hits all the right notes with these sweet little works of art. Tugging our Vinyl loving heartstrings and bringing us back to the days when scratching albums was taboo, each brooch is marked specifically to show you the best part of the song. Pin them onto your scarf or jacket and rock them with confidence that, yes, you are trendy.

9. Macha Jewelry, the Jagger Trilogy Ring

http://www.machajewelry.com/
Diamonds may be forever, but this ring is a permanent staple for anyone who loves modern fashion. Creatively stuffed with solid hunks of plated gold and sterling silver, it’s a beautiful treasure that won’t cost you a fortune.

Thanks for reading this IAMTHETREND Article!

I Am The Trend » indie wares