Designer Spotlight: Amanda Lockrow
A brief story of what you do and why you do it.
I love the challenge of working with a piece of hard metal to create a piece of jewelry that is wearable and beautiful at the same time. I know that there is always more to learn and that keeps my creative passion going so I am always working on new designs. Nothing has ever challenged and excited me the way that metalsmithing does, I am so thankful to get to do something I love every day.
How did you get into jewelry design?
I had a very wise freshman adviser in college who saw right away that I belonged in the Visual Arts program and not Communications. She encouraged me to put together a portfolio and transfer. I dabbled in fashion design, textile design, art education and sculpture before I took my first metals class. I became a Metals major right away and have been designing and making jewelry for over 10 years now!
What makes your collection unique?
The combination of my creative background along with my experience as a buyer, merchandiser and production manager all come together to create a collection that is full of pieces that are beautiful, but also have that extra attention to craftsmanship and detail that make them stand out to my buyers.
What are your inspirations?
Ancient techniques used with modern materials inspire my designs. Reclaiming textile techniques used by women throughout time and giving them a new beautiful life in metal also inspires my work. Lastly nature and our role in protecting it's beauty and power inspires my designs.
How are you making a difference in your life?
This is something I'm trying to work towards building into my business because giving back and volunteering has always been an important part of my personal life. I have a new collection I am planning to launch at the winter trade show that will donate a percentage to a charity that I choose. I also hope to someday have a studio to offer classes and workshops to those in my community.
What's something unusual about you that makes you “you”?
I broke my wrist snowboarding in my junior year of college and was almost talked in to becoming a photography major instead. I didn't want to give up on metalsmithing so I did it with my right hand (I'm left handed) and a cast until my wrist healed. I still snowboard and make jewelry more than 10 years later, because they are two of my favorite things to do.
What's the biggest struggle in running your jewelry business like a business? OR What is your biggest success in running your business like a business?
The biggest struggle for me is wearing so many hats in my business and trying to balance the making and designing with all of the business and marketing that needs to get done. But this could also be my biggest success because as I've grown I've hired people to handle certain parts of my business, and I hope to be able to do even more of this in the next few years.
I am the designer, daydreamer, and metalsmith behind Amanda K Lockrow; an eco-friendly jewelry collection handcrafted in LA. Metalsmithing is my passion but I often find my inspiration while snowboarding, after a great yoga class or while out on a hike.
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