ARTIST PROFILES

Artist Profile – Danielle Singer – Jewelry Designer

We got the chance to speak with Toronto Jewelry designer Danielle Singer of Dolorous Jewelry Designs on her 2016 Fall/Winter collection this week as well as get a bit of insight into the Canadian fashion scene! Thinking about delving into the world of body chains and jewelry design? Read on!

Creative and Chaos: 

How did you get into the art of jewelry design?

Danielle:

 I’ve been sculpting since I was a child. After finishing my undergrad at U of T I was really starved for a creative outlet and enrolled in some sculpture and reproduction classes. It was actually my mother who at that point suggested I look into some jewellery making workshops. I enrolled in two of the workshops at the Devil’s Workshop at Queen and Bellwoods, and immediately fell in love. Within one week of class I had enrolled in the George Brown Goldsmithing Program where I studied for 3 years.

Creative and Chaos: 

At what point in your life did you realize designing and creating jewelry was something you wanted to pursue?

Danielle:

 I was one of those kids who was always making all kinds of things. When I was young I would knit and sew, making purses and pillows, and I’d regularly put things together to make elaborate necklaces and charm bracelets, but it wasn’t until my twenties that I had really considered it as a career choice. It was so excited to find a way to make a living, have creative freedom, and get to work with my hands! It really feels like a dream job.

....

Creative and Chaos: 

Which piece is your favourite from the Fall/Winter 2016 collection?

Danielle: 

Thats so tough to choose! I think at best I’d have to narrow it down to two. I’m really in love with the Chain Mini Skirt I created for this season, its so much fun and surprisingly easy to wear. The design actually stemmed from a piece I had made just for myself, to wear to my collection launch at Toronto Fashion Week, that one was knee length and I got so many compliments and requests for it that I decided to make a similar piece for the line. It can be layered over anything from formal dresses to jeans and having it on just makes you want to dance. Other than that, on the completely flip side, I’m pretty obsessed with the super simple Dea Black Leather Choker. Its a super subtle, minimal piece thats perfect for everyday wear and looks awesome with any outfit. I honestly don’t think I’ve taken mine off since the collection launch and I can already tell I’ll be wearing it for a really long time.

Creative and Chaos: 

What was one of the more surreal moments in your career?

Danielle:

 I think one of the most surreal moments so far was seeing my jewellery in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue this year! It’s such a massive publication with huge circulation and their request to pull some pieces was totally out of the blue! I’ve had some really exciting press but that one felt pretty ‘next level’. A close second would be having several pieces on the main character of the CW show Reign. It was amazing to see my jewellery on television and the styling on that show is so breathtaking, it felt like a huge honour.

Creative and Chaos: 

Your pieces were displayed in the “We the North’ editorial in Elle Canada’s September Issue and the July 2016 Issue – what was that like?

Danielle: 

I grew up looking through Elle Canada and feel very grateful for the number of times I’ve had my jewelry featured by them. I’ve even had jewelry on the cover! The creative director, Juliana Schiavinatto is extremely talented and I think the magazine does a really amazing job of supporting and promoting local talent which is so important, and they create such beautiful images while doing it, it’s really an honour to be part of that.

Creative and Chaos: 

What advice would you give to other artists wanting to pursue a career in jewelry design?

Danielle:

 I think the most important advice I could give is to not compromise your creative vision. It’s very hard to run a business and there are certainly unique challenges to running a creative business but its important not to be swayed by trends and to stay true to your sense of design.

This interview has been edited from the full version, to see the full article check out

www.creativechaos.com

#tbt to earlier this week when I sent out the last ever Hera Broad Collar Body Chain with a mix of joy and sadness. I feel strongly about offering short runs and limited editions of designs to add their uniqueness. Many of my designs include vintage materials, available only in limited quantities, which add to what makes them special. With all of the mass production in today's world I think there's something really wonderful about having something that only a few others in the world will have. A striking statement piece would be much less striking if it had been seen on a hundred people before. I truly love making unique pieces of jewelry, hand made with love and thoughtfully chosen materials. That being said, it still feels bitter sweet whenever I send out the last of any design. I love all of my creations deeply and saying goodbye to them is always a little sad, but much less sad than I'd be if I were selling mass produced dispassionate jewelry.

#dolorous #handmade #jewelry #handmadewithlove #supporthandmade #supportsmallbusiness

 I was very lucky to recently have Sacha of Savannahtheblog my close friend and generally awesome and inspiring person in the Dolorous studio for a special behind the scenes photo shoot. Thanks to her here's an inside look at some of my workshop setup, some of my in office inspirations, and a few photos of me having a really great time with one of my very favourite people.

The hands and desk of yours truly, shot by Jill Botting

Here's a sneak peek of a shoot I did today with my very talented friend, Jillian Botting. Keep an eye out for the rest of our shoot coming soon including plenty of pic of me, my designs, and my workspace.

Life can be so easy when you're surrounded by talented and lovely people

My custom collection of jewellery for Caitlin Power's F/W13 Runway show debuted last Friday at World Mastercard Fashion Week Canada.  The DANIELLE LEE for Caitlin Power collection included two designs of statement silver work, a gothic, grungy silver collar and a striking full finger ring. This capsule collection was a reflection of the designers inspiration of gothic architecture and a futuristic steampunk aesthetic which I used to create jewellery that looked like an extension of the body. Above are a few of my favourite pictures of the pieces on the runway, and below is a picture I took at the end of the day that gives a sneak peek at my next metal work project!

All of the jewellery in the above photo was made by me :)

Overall, the project was a really great time and the girls of Caitlin Power are lovely and so fun to work with! Expect more pictures of the pieces soon!