Meet Marlo Miyashiro of Marlo M Jewelry Design, our featured designer for April What inspired you to start designing jewelry? In the late 80’s, the trend in jewelry was big, chunky and plastic. My personal aesthetic is very different – I like pared down design, clean lines and sterling silver. The desire to create things that I wanted to wear led me toward taking an intensive metalsmithing class which taught me the basic techniques I needed to create jewelry that I wanted to wear.

What's your background and have you always been creative?  Are there other artistic endeavors you're involved in?
I have always been creative! My mother was a great influence to be sure. She followed her creative spirit in many ways – gardening, painting, sewing, making dolls that she sold at craft shows and doing piecework for a beaded jewelry line. I learned a lot from her. In fact, my early days of entrepreneurship started with a collection of beaded jewelry that I sold to my classmates in Jr. High school!

I recently took a hiatus from jewelry design and started making what I call “cute stuff” – things like cactus pincushions and good-looking reusable shopping totes (now available at tote2go.com). I opened up an Etsy shop (imakecutestuff.etsy.com) and started listing things for sale. I’ve sold a few things so far, but mostly I’m grateful to have another creative outlet!

Your line shows a clear love for floral designs, sterling silver and stones. What other things give inspire you?
Many of my aesthetic choices reflect my love for Asian (especially Japanese) design and, paradoxically, the flowing style of the Art Nouveau era. I love the way both styles take complex forms and really focus on the essential elements of that design. When looking for inspiration, I usually look to nature to guide me in the right direction…it hasn’t failed me yet! Case in point: my new collection of “Koi” jewelry (soon to be introduced on MarloM.com!) – fishy fun with leafy accents.

How did you get into making jewelry? What other types of mediums have you worked in?
I’ve been making jewelry since Jr. High school – I used to make little earrings with seed beads and sequins and sell them to classmates during lunch! I eventually took a class in college as well as an intensive metalsmithing course through UCLA. The lessons learned there led me to where I am today… 20 years later!

I’ve dabbled in so many other mediums – most recently: fabric (sewing tote bags and such), polymer clay (mini-sculptures), sumi-e (Japanese ink painting) and yarn (knitting).

It's really great that you have your own studio to work out of. How long did it take you to get your very own studio?
I started my full-time business in 1993 in my parent’s garage. When I moved to Seattle in 1997, my apartment was much too small for my jewelry tools, so obtaining an independent studio came about out of necessity! My first space was tiny – a 10’ x 10’ x 10’ cube of a space with no running water. I had to shuttle buckets of water back and forth from the bathroom one floor below in order to rinse out my tumblers and pickle pots. As my business grew, I somehow found a way to work with my first assistant in that space. Imagine – two people back to back in a space 100 sq. ft. big! It was crazy, but it worked. A few years later, I moved to a 10’ x 20’ space and then, about 5 years ago, into my current 20’ x 20’ space – the perfect size for what I do now.

Do you have any advice for a designer thinking of taking that next step?
My advice to any designer thinking of taking on an independent studio space is to be absolutely sure you really need the extra space! Committing to monthly payments above your personal expenses is a huge decision and should be thought through carefully. Start by putting aside the amount you think you’d have to spend rent for about 3 or 4 months – if you find that you don’t miss the money, then you are definitely ready. If expenses are tighter than you’d like, then re-evaluate your income resources and then try again until you are comfortable with that outflow of cash.

Another thing to consider is the loneliness that comes with working alone in a studio all day. I personally have a radio/cd player, television and dvd player to keep the background noise going and a phone headset handy for long conversations with friends while I am working on things that are repetitive and boring. That definitely saves my sanity!

What type of equipment do you use?
The equipment I use is pretty standard to a hand-fabricated jewelry studio: jeweler’s saw, flexible shaft drill, bench shear, hydraulic press, soldering torch, pickle pot, buffing machine, lots of hand-tools, vibratory and rotary tumblers. I am lucky enough to have a utility sink in my studio as well.

What was the most difficult thing about starting your own line? And how did you get over that hurdle?
The most difficult thing about starting my line was getting over the huge learning curve of running my own business. I didn’t have any formal business training, so I had to learn everything I needed to know about running a small business from books and people who were doing what I wanted to do. I learned everything I could, participated in a lot of retail events and paid a lot of dues before eventually finding the courage to leave my full-time job. Then it was all about hitting the pavement to find stores to carry my work. That eventually led to doing wholesale trade shows across the country.
 
Whose work do you admire?
Oh goodness. There are so many designers to admire out there. I find that I am drawn to work that has a sculptural quality and textures that I normally do not use in my own work. Found objects, granulation and enamel really hold my interest. Favorite artists include: Talya Baharal, Kiwon Wang, Margaux Lang and Cornelia Goldsmith.

Where do you find your inspiration?
Inspiration is all around. Nature inspires me. Shopping inspires me. Flipping through magazines and shopping sites really gets the gears turning too. There are times when I’ll find myself staring at an old weathered door with cool worn-looking hinges and designing a new piece in my head with that feeling in mind. If I only had time to make all the things I create in my head!

What advice would you offer new designers entering into the market?
Find your unique creative voice and believe in it wholeheartedly. It can be a tough business and sometimes it will feel like you’re the only one that thinks you can do it. When you feel lost, try to remember why you wanted to do it in the first place. Find your ultimate motivator and keep it in your back pocket for times when you need to give yourself that extra bit of encouragement to keep going.

What is your vision for your business and where would you like to be in five years?
My vision for my business is to use my technique to focus on higher-end design. In five years, I hope to have my line established and represented by the finest galleries across the country!

Any other area of fashion you'd like to delve into?
I love accessory design. My “hobby” project, “Tote2Go!” shopping totes gives me an opportunity to create handbags and totes that feature recycled and repurposed fabrics.

What current trend would you like to see go away?
Well, since I survived the 80’s the first time around, I am not too keen about the 80’s coming back the way they are. Oh, that and those crazy puffy balloon skirts…not a fan. Not at all.

If you could have one item, new or vintage, what would it be?
I currently have my eye on one of those fancy computerized sewing machines – one that I can experiment with free-form quilting. Well…that or a princess cut diamond engagement ring...hahaha!

What was your favorite fashion item growing up?
I had a pair of patent leather shoes when I was very young. My grandmother bought them for me and I loved her even more for it.

Check out the many retail locations for Marlo M Jewelry Designs or Etsy for her shop!

Archive of Past Featured Designers:
Miyuki Ott - August 2007
Seed Clothing - September 2007
Moxie & Oliver - October 2007
MishMash - November 2007
Tarah Prater Designs - December 2007
Effie's Heart - January 2008
Organik - February 2008
Red Delicious - March 2008