DESIGNERS Describe the exclusive collection you designed for our store. The palette is called Wisteria and is anchored by a gorgeous bronze amethyst gemstone doublet. The multi-stone silhouettes in the collection also have hand-faceted clear quartz and Brazilian amethyst gemstones and a beautiful black shell doublet. I source stones and materials from all over the world, though I actually found the bronze amethyst I used for this collection right here in the U.S. You’ve talked about jewelry as empowering women; explain. For me, jewelry has always had a transformative quality—a great necklace or the perfect stack of bangles can really lift a mood, inspire confidence, make a woman feel more beautiful, more sexy, more herself. When you feel beautiful, you feel confident and that’s empowering. In general, what inspires your designs going into 2012? It seems I can never get enough color, or sparkle! So for 2012 you will see a big emphasis on gorgeous colors in bright and tonal hues across all three metals. And then there is the bling factor—expanding my diamond category in a sophisticated and somewhat unexpected way has been fun for me. I just spent two weeks traveling in Asia and India and was completely inspired by EVERYTHING: the cuisine, the language, the architecture, the diversity and the dichotomy. Especially in India, you really have this interesting sense that while this is the oldest living civilization on earth, it is also incredibly modern in many ways. How do you account for your strong and dedicated following? When I started out, I was designing the kind of jewelry I wanted to wear but couldn’t find. No one was crafting truly wearable fine jewelry that you could wear everyday, all day. As I continued to develop my collection, it became clear that this concept of creating fashion fine jewelry resonated with women—all kinds of women. They embraced the wearability, the versatility and the collectability: the idea of building a wardrobe. What’s really inspiring is the range of women who wear my jewelry, from young ingenues to established actors to musicians and artists. What are you personally wearing a lot of these days? I love the simplicity and versatility of a long link chain; it’s the perfect day to night piece. I wear it doubled at the office and when I go out in the evening I wear it long with a great pair of drop earrings. The 19 gold and diamond bangles I wear everyday have become my signature and are definitely my favorites.
Transformative Power IPPOLITA’S JEWELRY INSPIRES CONFIDENCE. AND JOY! BY KAREN ALBERG GROSSMAN Other than design, what are you doing these days? One of my goals this year has been to make time for art—to see it, to create it, to appreciate it. Art rejuvenates and inspires me—it makes me a more creative designer. What are you most proud of? I am most proud of raising a confident and independent daughter and instilling in her the importance of pursuing your passions, working hard and being a good person. Of course I am immensely proud of the business I’ve created, but this is a team effort and I work with an incredible group of people. I believe we are all constantly evolving into the people we are meant to be, so while I embrace change, I really just try to live in the moment and be who I am.
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