As we moved forward into our sustainability model I struggled with the replacement of Polymer Clay as my base for bead making. Of course, I could have moved over to ceramic clay but I didn't like the feel of the clay with my designs and the clay was way too heavy on jewelry chains.
After going through my bead stash for ideas I found some beads made from recycled paper I purchased from Toho Shoji, a Japanese bead and jewelry findings store based out of Japan but has stores in the beading district in Manhattan. I brought those beads nearly 15 years ago. The beads have been durable and liquid-resistant for this long. It was enough proof to allow me to experiment with this medium of pressed recycled paper clay.
I am finally making bead pendants again for jewelry making and I will no longer use Polymer and that feels great! I will only use recycled paper clay produced from our office materials and cornstarch clay for heavier projects. This is a big step for the company.
The new designs will blur the lines once again between art and fashion for our brand. What is wearable art and should you even wear art at all? Can art be fashionable? I'm hoping to answer all these questions with this new product launch in August 2020.