Tiffany Lee's KidViskous jewelry label was picked as one of the Top 9 Emerging Designers to Watch For in 2009. Her collection is a mix of lucite streetwear meets handmade couture jewelry and her newest pieces are inspired by club music favorites Daft Punk and Justice.

What inspires your work? Definitely music, I believe music and fashion always will go hand-in-hand. You've got to admit that the successes of acts like Lady Gaga and Katy Perry have, to an extent, a lot to do with their amazing personal style. When you see any subgroup of fashionistas, people who are really into punk dress a certain way, people who are into hip hop, or electro, or disco, they all dress a certain way that matches their music tastes. Fashion and music really have this fantastic, incestuous relationship where they are constantly intertwined with, or reacting to, one another.



Who are your favorite designers? I love designers who are like avant garde artists or structural architects. Balenciaga by Nicolas Ghesquiere, Hussein Chalayan, Rick Owens, Comme des Garcons, Gareth Pugh and the like, I feel really know how to challange the way clothing fits, falls, and reshapes the body with a kind of (mostly) monochromatic, hyper modern, yet post apocalyptic aesthetic. Then there's designers like Vivienne Westwood, Betsy Johnson, and Heatherette, that I love who are so rock and roll and outrageous, yet uncompromisingly feminine. And to end my rant, I love the whole black tie, night at the opera look, and Viktor & Rolf, YSL, and Chanel are undoubtedly the most elegant purveyors of the theater look (mostly with fall collections).

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? As in my wish list? My "Yeah Right Tiffany" impossible must-haves are the Balmain pointed shoulder denim military jacket and satin lapel tuxedo jacket, and the Givenchy crystal suede western jacket with their strappy poplin crystal vest!

But my realistic must/will haves are jodphurs, white mid calf Doc Martens lace-up boots, oxfords, Burberry trenchcoat, waterproof mascara, and of COURSE a KidViskous piece!

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers? I think the hardest part is just actually doing it and sticking to it. I never thought I'd still be designing jewelry years after the fact and doing well with it too! When it comes to the business aspect of it, it's a good idea to follow the trends, see what other people are doing marketing-wise, see what works, and try to integrate that into your own business plan. Creatively, I feel like you shouldn't look to what other people are doing at all and just do what you want. Trying to follow trends design-wise is hard and unfulfilling since there will be SO many other people taking the exact same path. You're more likely to find a niche that no one else has touched that you can stand out with if you listen to your own tastes and to what inspires you alone.

Anything else? KidViskous will be branching out to pieces made of precious metals and semi-precious stones in the next collection, so please stay tuned! None of my collections resemble each other, me being ADD in my designing, so I'll be keeping everyone on their toes. One day I would like to start a clothing collection, perhaps a tshirt line to seguey. Oh and write a children's book. And be animated in a video game. And be a contestant on the Japanese human tetris game show. But right now, a delicious sandwich will suffice. :)

You can find the new KidViskous collection on Shopflick.com.


We love all of the amazing independent designers out there and we wanted to find out more about what makes these creative types tick. If you do too, check out more of our Indie Designer Interviews.