Styling Stories

Allure Magazine

A PEARL MOMENT

One of my favorite pearl shoots was for Allure. At the time, the team was obsessed with pearls, so we found bracelets and beautiful baroque pearls to play around with. Some were bracelets, some were barrettes, some were earrings we used as barrettes. We had a lot of fun. I know when styling yourself you want to pick a focal point. In editorial there can be many focal points, we often go avant-garde. The trick is to keep each statement piece within the same family. So if you want to be dramatic with pearls, just keep all the pieces within the pearl family.

Large Pearl Hoops

Hollow hoops adorned with a hanging baroque pearl

Celina Pearl Ring

Classic gold filled ring with a pearl accent

Allure Magazine

TELLING A STORY WITH DIAMONDS

I love to tell a story through my styling. There was a shoot we did for Allure with photographer Stas May. We found an amazing hair braiding artist, Shani Crowe — it’s extraordinary what she can do with hair. For the concept, I wanted there to be a model born in Africa, since that's where so many diamonds are sourced. The model we cast was from Eritrea. We loved how the concept came together as we created this beautiful crown with diamonds from her home continent. They are all rings and earrings we placed in her hair. None of the jewelry was actually made for hair. That shoot also reminded me of The Jewelry Edit’s mission of transparency and being cognizant of where your jewelry comes from. And of course—telling a story through jewelry.

XS Link and Baguette Stud (Single)

A prong set white diamond baguette stud with dangling small link

Overlapping Two-Row Ring With Diamond Pavé

A bold pavé-diamond curved ring playfully crisscrossing the back and front of your finger

Vanity Fair

I NEVER TAKE THEM OFF

I styled Evan Mock of Gossip Girl fame for Vanity Fair. It was a fun shoot! Evan came to set with two gold chains on, and said he never takes them off. When styling talent who is already wearing jewelry, I always ask if it is something meaningful to them and invite them to keep them on. It brings more personality into Vanity Fair. For that shoot I had this beautiful Chopard diamond necklace with a giant, off-centered "F-you" stone. It’s funny because it didn’t sit well with the wardrobe. It needed to be in every shot and perfectly stay in place. I was constantly adjusting it and using wire to keep it in place. I wanted to create this feeling that it really was his own piece mixing it with personal pieces helped that. Sometimes, it takes a lot of effort to make the shot feel natural. I also wanted people to see that if you have a really expensive piece of jewelry, you don't have to keep it in the safe; you should wear it. And even mix it with your own more accessible pieces!

Quinn Double Gold Necklace

A gorgeous 24K gold-plated double chain, which will add shine to any outfit

Cuban Flexible Chain Ring

A flexible chain ring in 18k yellow gold vermeil

Vanity Fair

ANGELA DAVIS AND HER BANGLES

Styling Angela Davis on the cover of Vanity Fair. was very emotional for me as Angela Davis is someone I grew up idolizing The photographer Dina Lawson is a fine artist photographer, and we were initially going to go with an iridescent earring and necklace. After getting Dr. Davis on zoom, she let me know she didn’t feel the concept reflected her style. She didn’t want it to be very ornate. As we were talking, I noticed she was wearing these bangles. She said she wears them every day, and sometimes even sleeps in them. To make the shoot much more personal, we decided she should wear them for her Vanity Fair cover. It was shot during the pandemic and it was a tumultuous time; she just wanted to feel like herself.  Your jewelry should always reflect your authentic self.