I had the opportunity to meet and chat with a fabulous woman while 'doin the dirty' (aka shopping) at Aprés Peau a couple of weeks ago. The jewelry designer, Ruth Barzel, uses what she sees everyday in magazine, on the streets and on the internet to find inspiration for her pieces. She's been doing this for years now, but still exclaimed "Score!" when she secured her first client! We chatted for a bit and here's what she had to say...that can help us all:
In your closet, what is your "I'm stuck on an island" must-have item? Haviana flip flops (my guess is a solid color).- How did you start doing what you do? My mother was an artist and she started enrolling me in art classes as soon as I was old enough to hold a paintbrush. I took my first jewelry-making class at age 11, and I was hooked. I did it off-and-on again for many years, and finally I hit my stride.
- What are your 3 fashion must-haves? Fabulous jewelry/watch, Straight-leg denim, Mascara and lipstick/gloss
- What differentiates your jewelry from "everything else" out there? My pieces are unique, but they're also easy to wear and functional. I call my jewelry line "jewelry for every day," because it goes with a lot of different looks and works for women of all ages and with many different styles.
- What did you before this? I was a writer/editor.
- What do you want Blueprint for Style readers to know about your company? I want everyone who buys my jewelry to feel fabulous when they're wearing it.
- What's your one splurge item? A watch that you love.
And just to make sure you know she's human, we had to get a little more juice....
- What is your preference (sugar, Splenda, raw sugar, NutraSweet)? Splenda
- When you're hungry what food do you crave most? Cheez-its
- What would you tell your friends who are not as style savvy? Call me; I'll go shopping with you!
Lastly, but most importantly, how do we find you? Just go to Ruth Barzel (www.ruthbarzel.com)
