All posts tagged: bracelets

Dream of Songs Jewelry by Minna Kao

Dream of Songs is a Brooklyn-based jewelry brand that produces ethereal, modern, 3D-printed jewelry pieces in Brooklyn and Long Island City, New York. Minna Kao, the 41-year-old founder and creator of Dream of Songs, has been a fan of designing jewelry since she was a little girl, when she sold a collection of plastic bracelets to her elementary school classmates in her hometown of Houston. After graduating from the University of Texas, Kao went to Paris for a six month apprenticeship under designers Diane Pernet and Alan Faye. After some more time studying in New York City and soaking up the Japanese sensibility of Wabi Sabi in Tokyo, Kao opened MinnaK, a bridal and evening wear company in 2006. In 2013, she fell in love with 3D design and launched Dream of Songs two years later. We recently asked Minna a few questions about herself and her design process.   DT: Are you still designing bridal pieces or are you a full-time jewelry designer now? MK: I’m not designing bridal pieces anymore, I’m a full-time jewelry designer now. DT: Do you work with a partner …

Press Uncuffed Bracelets

Hundreds of journalists around the world are currently imprisoned for nothing more than having the courage to report the facts. According to Dana Priest, the John S. and James L. Knight Chair in Public Affairs Journalism at the Philip Merrill College of Journalism at the University of Maryland, the last three years have been the worst on record for the safety of journalists covering news in many parts of the world. Ever wonder what you can do to help? Press Uncuffed, a campaign powered by students at the Phillip Merrill College of Journalism in partnership with the Committee to Protect Journalists, is helping to raise awareness of and help free imprisoned journalists by selling bracelets bearing their names. Available for $10 each on the Investigative Reporters and Editors online store, the cuff-like bracelets are made in Memphis, Tennessee with LuciteLux clear acrylic, a reminder of the importance of transparency of information. The Press Uncuffed bracelets honor nine journalists: Ammar Abdulrasool in Bahrain, Mahmoud Abou Zeid (Shawkan) in Egypt, Reeyot Alemu in Ethiopia, Khadija Ismayilova in Azerbaijan, Bheki Makhubu in Swaziland, Ta Phong Tan in Vietnam, Jason Rezaian in Iran, Yusuf …

Inca Starzinsky Jewelry

I met Inca Starzinsky during last month’s London Design Festival, where she was displaying a collection of her jewelry and accessories at the Tent London exhibit at the Old Truman Brewery in Shoreditch. A graduate of Central Saint Martins in 2000 and the Royal College of Art in 2007, Starzinsky has worked as a graphic designer, printed textile designer, design director, and artist. Part of the design and editorial team of Graphic magazine from 2002–2006, Starzinsky developed her skills in printed textile design at the Royal College of Art. I was drawn into Starzinsky’s booth by the vibrant colors of her geometric acrylic pieces. My favorites are the Fade series of necklaces and the Spin series of pendants, brooches, bracelets, and rings made from digitally-printed two-ply acrylic which is laser-cut and finished with silver loops and chain. Each of the variations features bold gradient coloring. The Hackney Clouds and Sunset series of brooches are based on photographs of the sky — they are like little peepholes into the heavens. I asked a Inca a few questions …