We love all of the amazing independent designers out there. In order to find out more about just what makes all of these creative types tick, we present to you an ongoing segment called Indie Designer Interviews.Today's interview is with Barbe Saint John, who designs one of a kind jewelry and and other wearables, often made from recycled and vintage materials. In addition to wearable art, Barbe also creates mixed media assemblage pieces for your home as well as handspun art yarns.
Tell us a little about yourself and your work. I am a San Francisco based mixed media artist, working with forgotten, found and repurposed materials. My passion is making one of a kind, wearable art pieces. I like to call it "jewelry with a past for the modern woman". I love to take the old, forgotten, discarded, broken, rusted, orphaned and things considered worthless and turn them into wearable works of art. Each tiny piece has a fragment of a story and a hint of a secret that longs to be revealed. Like an archaeologist, I hunt for these bits of treasure and discover their hidden purpose. When combined they come to life like a phoenix rising from the ashes with a story and energy all their own. Just like the unique bits that are used to create them, most of my jewelry is one of a kind and cannot be duplicated.
How did you get started as a designer? I got started being creative at an early age-I can remember making simple Barbie dresses with my Mom when I was 4, and my Grandmother taught me to crochet at 5. I've always had some of creative hobbies throughout my adult life. About 8 years ago, after years of working mostly non-creative environments I felt I had to allow my artistic side a chance to develop. So, I took the leap and haven't looked back. I've been lucky to have some amazingly talented artist friends who inspire me and help me grow.
What inspires your work? I have MANY inspirations, and it shows up in the variety of work I do. My art studio is as cluttered as possible with lots of eye candy -- art by friends, vintage jewelry & imagery, dolls, rhinestones, bones, fiber, vintage fabric, papers, found items, old tins, books, paints, sequins, and anything else that catches my eye. I am a huge Anglophile and love to travel so that shows up a lot in my work as well. I get inspiration from the materials themselves that I work with. Each piece has a tiny bit of a story or song that will "speak" to me and while I am working. My core inspirations are science, archeology, fashion, old handwritten letters, Arabic storytelling, Egyptology, quantum physics, parapsychology, mythology, emotional angst, rich colors and mad scientists.Who are your favorite designers? There are too many indie designers that I love to mention them all! A few of them are: I am a huge fan of Susan Lenart Kazmer's art jewelry and Grainne Morton mixed media jewelry. Also, I love hats by Pillbox Production and Humble Bumble B. For mainstream designers, I love Gaultier, Marc Jacobs and Nanette Lepore.
What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? Jewelry, of course!!! One great piece of jewelry can put the finishing touch on any outfit or transform a humdrum plain dress into a chic look. For fashion, a fitted black pencil skirt is a must! And one can never have too many pairs of shoes either. For Beauty – since your face is what people notice first, you should always have it look great. Looking great starts with great skin. I use a Japanese cleanser called Komenuka Bijin that is mild and makes your skin feel like silk. While I don't think you NEED makeup to look beautiful, I feel most of us benefit from a little bit of tinted moisturizer, a swipe of mascara and a colored lip-gloss to help us look a bit more polished. I'm never without red lipstick and I'm currently in love with the longwear stuff that lasts all day long and doesn't smudge.
Any advice you would give to aspiring designers? Do what you love and what inspires you. It takes a lot of work, time and effort on your part and you have to commit to that Its ok to look at what other people are doing but do your OWN thing-don't copy. Networking is key, and having a group of other creative people to share your successes, info, support as well as opportunities is important. Also, my biggest one is never stop learning and expanding your creative mind.
Where can people find your work? I sell primarily on my website www.barbesaintjohn.com and have a samples & seconds shop on Etsy www.barbesaintjohn.etsy.com. I also sell a few boutiques around the country. I am always looking for new retail outlets, and businesses can contact me for details.
Anything else? I would love people to sign up for my very low volume newsletter. I sent is out about 6 times a year and offer subscriber only discounts and sales. You can sign up on the website or on my blog www.barbesaintjohn.blogspot.com. A big thank you to StyleDash for the interview.