With a background in art, film production and fashion styling, it’s no wonder that jeweler Pamela Love finds inspiration everywhere. In 2006, Love began creating her own eclectic jewelry from a mix of fine gold, leather, brass, and unusual stones after finding that nothing else on the market catered to her taste. Since then, she has gone on to produce collections for Zac Posen, collaborated with Marchesa, Twenty8Twelve, Yigal Azrouel, and worked with Opening Ceremony and Spike Jonz to create the jewelry for the film Where the Wild Things Are. She is also the first jewelry designer to collaborate with Topshop, and has produced jewelry for HBO’s True Blood. Pamela’s collections can be found in Opening Ceremony and Bloomingdales.
We caught up with Pamela for a quick chat about what inspires her, what she’s listening to, and where she likes to shop.
Pamela’s style is all about effortless bohemian dressing. Her printed boho dress (left) is accentuated with pieces from her collection. A khaki jacket, black tights and chunky boots (right) are all one needs to lessen the impact a feminine floral dress can have, giving it a rougher edge.
the Fashion Spot: Where does your inspiration come from?
Pamela Love: I’m inspired by a variety of things, but I am continuously interested in nature, science, astronomy, religion, magic, and folk jewelry. Travel has also been another important inspiration for me, as well as inspiration from my personal experiences.
tFS: Where is your favorite place to shop in New York?
PL: I like to shop at vintage stores and flea markets, like Brooklyn Flea and What Goes Around Comes Around. I also love stores like Topshop, and boutiques like The Reformation, No.6, and Opening Ceremony.
tFS:If you could only wear one accessory, what would it be?
PL: My talon cuff. It’s the one piece I never take off. I love how delicate it feels to wear while maintaining a powerful appeal.
Never pulled back and polished, Pamela prefers undone hair, dark eye makeup and a ton of accessories, like her talon cuff shown above (left). Loose knits and floaty dresses and blouses make up Pamela’s wardrobe; there’s never a bandage dress or pencil skirt in sight. Ever the cool girl with a splash of rock chick, a leather jacket, torn black jeans, and a plaid shirt are staples of Pamela’s wardrobe (right).
tFS: What’s the best part about your job?
PL: I really love creating new collections and having the chance to experiment with new materials while producing unexpected pieces. Being able to make a career out of something I love is the most enjoyable part.
tFS: Where are your favorite places to go in New York?
PL: I live in Greenpoint, Brooklyn, my favorite places there are Five Leaves, Endis, Manhattan Inn, Brooklyn Flea, and Amacord.
tFS: What does your perfect Saturday entail?
PL: Riding my bike around Brooklyn and eating a lot of good brunch food.
tFS: Who are some of your favorite designers?
PL: Alexander Wang, Vena Cava, and Frank Tell.
tFS: Describe your style
PL: I love to mix masculine and feminine styles together. To me, contrast is finding a balance between two different qualities, and combining things that don’t necessarily go together—things that aren’t easily definable.
tFS: What’s on your iPod right now?
PL: Lately I’ve been listening to Neil Young and The Wild Yaks.
Images: courtesy of Pamela Love
