From Conception to Collection with Lindsay
Since I’m a designer, it may go without saying that my very favorite part of my job is to design. Designing is what got me interested in this industry as a teenager, and what compelled me, 15 years later, to start the business that is now Bloom Jewelry. Designing is what inspires and fuels me, year after year.
Though I’m sure all designers would agree that design is where their passion lies, all of us have a different process, and different ways to arrive at our final product. That’s why I’d like to invite you along on Bloom’s design journey from start to finish.
We start our planning process in our Denver, Colorado, studio by researching color stories for each season. We look for color stories that align with what’s happening in the fashion world and on the runways, so that our jewelry will complement the clothing that will be coming to market. We work six months to a year out (e.g., planning our upcoming Fall/Holiday Collections happens in January). Used as a guide, what we find in our research will help dictate what the next season looks like. For us, going into each new season is a bit of a mystery, and always an adventure.
Our design cycle begins in January. That’s when we head to the world’s largest gem show in Tucson, Arizona. A temporary gem lovers’ paradise takes over Tucson, with gem shows in tents and arenas occupying every square foot of the city. The city is abuzz with gem experts, gem seekers, gem dealers, and designers from all over the world.
That’s when the hunt begins — my favorite part. Often we’re searching for new and unusual stones we’ve never worked with or cuts and shapes that are new to the market. Though we’ve done our research, it’s really during these three days that we hand-pick and weave together the components of our future collections. A single strand of stones may inspire an entire collection.
Once back in the studio, as a team, we excitedly review all of our treasures. Then, we decide on the styles to move forward with as bestsellers and staples.
Though I’m inspired all the time by people, places, scenery, and materials in our fast-paced world, it’s only when I really get to slow down and put these ideas together that the magic happens. I say “magic” because that’s what it feels like when we’re creating pieces and watching it come together as a collection.
Then, I set myself free. With a time frame of two weeks of free design as my only guideline, I go back to how I started as a teenager. I lay out all the materials like a kid in a candy shop, letting my hands and heart lead the conversation.
Usually, I like this time to be quiet, so I can sit with my ideas and thoughts. (Of course, good music is always key.) I enjoy the stillness of this time, and of getting to be so aware and present. Some days, ideas come so fast it’s hard to keep up. Physically making them takes too much time, so I sketch them instead. That way, I don’t lose the ideas before I can get them down. Other days, it’s slow going, and I have to wait patiently for the ideas to come together. In the end, one piece at a time and one story to the next, a new collection is born.
