The post Summer nights with Simone appeared first on LA in Bloom.

Heather Taylor: Your collection has such a unique signature style. How would you describe it?

Jessica Winzelberg: I create a line of fine jewelry that is organic but also luxurious and refined. My signature is my use of rare, natural stones mixed with ancient and exotic inspired metalwork. I have become known for these unexpected stone combinations.

HT: What inspires you to continue to innovate?  

JW: I’ve always had an inherent desire to create something that is utterly unique and all my own. Bringing life to a new design that had previously only existed in my head is one my greatest passions. This, coupled with the joy that jewelry brings people is what propels me forward. Jewelry is unique in that it truly becomes a part of someone’s story. It provides memories, joy, protection, and strength. I adore creating something that looks gorgeous on my clients, but that also mixes into their life and becomes a part of them. There is nothing better to me than finding a new way to bring beauty into someone’s life.

HT: Please talk about some of the stones you love to work with most.

JW: I use a lot of rare boulder opals, agates and jaspers. Each one of these is inherently one of a kind because of the way they have formed over thousands of years.  My favorite pieces are always the ones with strong, saturated colors and patterns. The new earrings with boulder opals and dalmatian stone (a spotted cream and black stone) are my current favorites.

HT: Are you debuting new designs for holiday?

JW: We’re releasing more gorgeous one-of-a-kind earrings and necklaces. And we have really exciting new collections coming for Valentine’s Day and Mother’s Day.

HT: You recently moved from San Francisco to Los Angeles. How does working in LA differ from running your business in SF?

JW: LA has a wonderfully supportive artist community and many more production resources. I think it is an amazing time to be an artist and maker in Los Angeles. Both the lifestyle that Los Angeles offers and the physical landscape of this area are endlessly inspiring to me.

HT: How would you describe the Jessica Winzelberg girl?

JW: My clients are the best. The JW girl is a bit of a modern treasure hunter – she appreciates beauty and rarity and loves collecting one-of-a-kind pieces. She considers her jewels to be a part of her daily armor, and she wears them all the time. And she loves pops of color and layers.

HT: Favorites of the moment…

Magazine? Porter and Vogue Living are two I get especially excited about.
Album? I’ve had a mixture of Blood Orange, Pure Bathing Culture, The Drums and an unplugged Florence and The Machine on repeat in the studio lately.
Movie? Before Sunrise and An Education are two favorites.
City to visit? Cape Town! It is where I met my husband, and I’m dying to go back. For something a little closer to home, I love Bolinas in West Marin.
Perfume? I love mixing sandalwood and rose. Lately I’ve been wearing Winter by Dasein Fragrance.
Candle? Anything and everything Le Feu de L’Eau.
Piece of business advice? What has worked best for me is focusing on taking everything one step at a time and working as much as possible on building infrastructure and systems as I go. I also believe in thinking of failure as a prerequisite to future success.
Neighborhood spot to get an afternoon snack? I love Kitchen Mouse in Highland Park. It’s a quick walk from my house and right next to the post office, so I treat myself to one of their cookies and a hibiscus iced tea after dropping off orders.
Recipe? I’ve been making this amazing bread recipe a lot lately.
Way to unwind? Massage, acupressure, taking an art class or walking my dog.  I also keep a rebounder in my studio that I love to jump on to clear my head.

Photography by Jeana Sohn.

The post Studio Visit: Jessica Winzelberg appeared first on LA in Bloom.

Heather Taylor: What was the inspiration for starting your line of jewelry?

Beatrice Valenzuela: It’s really all coming from my love affair with jewelry and dreaming about flowers turning into precious metals. I loved the idea of picking up a calla lily and draping it around the neck or behind and around the ear, holding back curls away from the face. Or using a beautiful hair cage to fix a top knot in place.

HT: Tell us about the pieces you are currently offering? And what materials are you working with?

BV: The collection is now available in brass and walnut and it is all sculpted by hand. We have a necklace, an ear cuff, a spiral back hair pin, a hair pin and a hair cage.

HT: Are you releasing any new designs for holiday?

BV: Yes! The line will soon be available in silver and white pine. I’m also working on a ring and a bracelet in the same theme.

HT: How would you describe the Beatrice Valenzuela girl?

BV: Very open to new and exciting ideas. Curious and voracious for new information. Always moving forward and looking at life as a gift. Most of all wanting to laugh, have fun and be SEXY!

HT: Favorites of the moment….

Magazine? Gather Journal, the desert issue. It has recipes on how to make prickly pear cocktails and a date shake that reminds me of the one featured on LA in Bloom’s webisode series.
Album? My daughter Astrid (5 years old) has her own record player and she plays Stevie Wonder a lot. Right now we are listening to Songs In The Key of Life. It’s excellent!
Movie? Respiro (Breath) by, Emanuele Crialese
City to visit? Formentera, Balearic Island, Spain. I’ve never been but I want to go there today.
Lipstick color? Angela by Nars Audacious lipstick. It’s a bright magenta the same color as the bugambilias in my garden.
Candle? Le Feu Vert, it’s a mysterious fig leaf fragrance by Le Feu De L’eau. Perfect for this season.
Piece of business advice? Take your time before making decisions when you aren’t 100% sure. However long it takes. It will pay off. A very beloved friend shared this advice with me.
Place to get a chai tea latte? My most favorite chai in Los Angeles is at Casbah Café. I know the girls that work the morning shift there and I love to catch up with them while they make a cup of chai which I then douse in honey. I usually ask for a soy chai latte.
Family activity? Going out for raw oysters in the shell and drinking bubbly. There are so many great places that offer this in LA. L & E Oyster Bar and Hungry Cat are very popular with our family.

Photography by Jeana Sohn

The post Nature-Inspired Jewels from Beatrice Valenzuela appeared first on LA in Bloom.

The post My Pregnancy Style appeared first on LA in Bloom.

Heather Taylor: What was your idea behind opening the Kneeland Co Research library?

Joanna Williams: It’s actually something I have been thinking about for the past few years. I’ve amassed an incredible collection of magazine tear sheets and books on design, fashion, art, textiles, and objects over the years and I always wanted to catalog them and figure out a way to share them with the rest of the world. Fashion magazines played a big role in my life growing up and allowed me to daydream and escape from the small town I grew up in.  They really gave me a fresh, creative perspective on the world and I just knew that I had to dream big and live an inspiring life.  I was exposed to a lot of culture at a very young age through traveling and hanging out with my older brother whom I looked up to, and I started reading a lot of music magazines and lifestyle magazines like Hobo, Index, Bikini, etc. It allowed me to tie everything together and really develop my own personal aesthetic. Many of those magazines closed a long time ago so I feel fortunate to still have some of them.  I always joke that magazines saved my life, but I think it’s kind of true!  I started my blog, Keep Feeling Fascination, in 2007 with the idea of posting inspiring images from some of my favorite magazines and it felt so gratifying.  Since then I’ve started my own Textile and Consulting Studio as well as an online store and have developed a really solid network of clients, and during that time my library of research material has grown even more. I thought it seemed like the right time to offer this creative service.

HT: How can someone use it?

JW: Clients can either visit and comb through curated images that are organized by fashion editorials, fashion ads, interiors, travel, and shopping, or search through books and magazines focused on photography, musicians, graphics, textiles, decorating, and much more. In other words, it’s a more organic and exploratory way of doing research.  In addition, consulting is offered on various topics.  For example, a client can get in touch with a specific interest such as “1970’s California surf culture” or “Post-War Modernism in Interiors” and based on those topics a variety of images and research will be edited, organized and presented.  The Research Library is open by appointment.

HT: What are your five favorite items in the KCRL?

JW: My collection of Index Magazines, early 2000’s fashion ads, a vintage book on Nigerian nomads, old Mark Borthwick tear sheets, and books by David Hicks

HT: Where do YOU go for inspiration?

JW: Everywhere!  I’m inspired by many things and many aesthetics.  I love traveling for inspiration and I also like being around and meeting interesting, inspiring people.  And of course I have my favorite top secret places that I frequent for inspiration.  ; )

HT: What’s on your inspiration board?

JW: Photos of textile designer and Russian socialite Olya Thompson, Art Deco embroidery swatches, the forever boss Kate Moss, photos of Dries Van Noten’s garden in Antwerp, 1940’s floral prints, a photo of Carolina Herrera-Baez wearing a blue and white dress sitting on an armchair with her son against a blue and white toile rooster curtain, a sequined embroidered ballerina I found in Mexico, one of my custom embellishment designs, and a photo of Guinevere Van Seenus lounging in a pile of flowers.

HT: What’s new and exciting in Kneeland Mercado?

JW: For the online store, Kneeland Mercado, I’m focusing more on collaborations with artists who work in many different mediums to create exclusive products.  There will be more one-of-a-kind products that you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

HT: Favorites of the moment…

Magazine? Apartamento, World of Interiors, Porter (for the editorials), L’Officiel
Album? Electrelane – The Power Out (oldie but goodie)
Movie? Obvious Child
City to visit? Always Paris and Mexico City
Nail polish color? YSL Safran
Piece of business advice? Take risks and don’t be afraid to fail, for failure is a mask for a better opportunity. 
Place to get a chai tea latte? Random Tea Room in Philadelphia

The post Seeking a Creative Jolt? Welcome to the Kneeland Co. Research Library appeared first on LA in Bloom.

Sidenote: Looking cute while being pregnant is hard! Been living in this Raquel Allegra dress and my Jesse Kamm trench. More on preggo style coming soon to LA in Bloom.

The post Pregnancy Style appeared first on LA in Bloom.