LILY OSWALD: THE SISTERHOOD OF SORRELLI
Lily Oswald: The Sisterhood of Sorrelli
You won't find Lily Oswald far from nature. This young, passionate jewelry designer is CEO of her family run jewelry business Sorrelli, which she operates alongside her mother and sister. Her love of the outdoors is reflected in her collections, as is her love for family, which has spawned a sisterhood that is reflected in her pieces and the women who love them.
The Jewelry Edit had the opportunity to talk to Oswald about what inspires her.
How did you come up with the name/concept for your company?
Inspired by my Italian-American heritage and love for family the brand was named after sorelle – sisters in Italian.
Where do you look for inspiration when designing pieces?
I’m a huge gardener and spend a lot of time recharging in nature. A lot of my inspiration comes from flowers, plants, the sculptural quality of tendrils of squash growing up my trellis. I’m a big fan of the outdoors and am so inspired by people who live off the land exclusively!
What are your favorite types of pieces to design?
I like the challenge of design, of engineering a piece that will be comfortable, feel effortless for the customer to wear, but make her stand out and feel bold. My pieces empower the women who wear them, and my favorite thing is to tackle the challenge of constructing a piece. It’s like a puzzle I put together everyday!
What’s your favorite type of material to wear/work with?
I started my career manipulating jeweler’s brass, which is an interesting material because it’s soft enough to be bent, flattened, or hammered for texture, but durable enough to stand the test of time. I have been on a pearl kick for the last year, incorporating freshwater pearls into a lot of our designs, which I find to be organic and beautiful in their natural state.
How would you describe your style?
My style is relaxed, I wear a lot of flats and long flowy dresses, with lots of layered bracelets and long necklaces. My style is garden-chic, I’m rarely wearing an outfit that doesn't go with a harvest basket and pair of gardening gloves!
What was the first piece of jewelry you remember buying for yourself?
The first piece I bought was a plain brass cuff, medium sized, very organic that I wore all through high school, it was a prized possession for many years of my youth!
What’s one piece of jewelry you wear often, that you can’t live without?
I have a simple gold band ring with rose cut diamonds. I wear it everyday on my ring finger as an upgraded engagement ring.
How many pieces of jewelry do you usually wear at any given time? What are they?
I usually wear about 10 pieces of jewelry per day: my diamond studs, Apple watch, gold rose cut band ring, 2 long Sorrelli necklaces, one abacus beaded necklace, and 3 to 4 bracelets stacked.
Why do you think it’s important for people to wear/own jewelry?
I think jewelry is incredibly sentimental, it takes you back to places and people in an emotional way. Not to mention, it makes women feel empowered and beautiful without the hassle of dealing with sizing and changing body shape anxieties that come with apparel, especially relevant as we age!
What’s something people should keep in mind when shopping for jewelry?
Buy what you love, surrounding yourself with beauty is always a good idea.
What draws customers in to purchase jewelry from your collection?
We are known for our color, I’ve always had a strong eye for nuanced hues and I think our collections bring women a lot of unexpected joy and attention. When you wear a Sorrelli piece, people notice, and you become part of a sisterhood of women who wear, appreciate, gift and hand-down their Sorrelli pieces.