Today we’d like to introduce you to Angely Martinez.
Angely, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I started making jewelry back in 2011. I was taking a jewelry course in college while in my 3rd year of business school. Since childhood, I had a creative mindset but did not know what area I wanted to go into. At one point I wanted to design interiors, at another I wanted to design shoes. I also explored with ceramics, digital fabrication, and glass (which I still incorporate in my jewelry today), but jewelry is where I truly found my voice. A few years after finishing my bachelor’s, I began taking continuing ed classes at night at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT), and sooner than later I left my full-time job to study Jewelry Design full-time. During this period of time, I interned for Jules Kim, the woman behind Bijules, a talented and innovative jewelry designer based in NYC. I graduated from FIT’s Jewelry Design program in 2018.
Long story short, in November 2018, I launched VERMILLION, my debut collection, under the guidance of Jules as part of her Bijules Incubator, a talent development program in the jewelry industry. I learned everything from developing a cohesive body of work to creating a lookbook.
Has it been a smooth road?
Let’s just say that it has been an interesting and a challenging road for me. I am an immigrant and I come from a working-class family. When I went back to school, I went through very frugal times. I was working 20 hours a week while also going to FIT full-time. That was financially and physically hard, but it’s what I wanted to do. Despite these circumstances, I never stopped pursuing my dreams. I look at every year as a stepping stone into bigger things. Eight years ago, I used whatever I had around me (i.e. beads, brass wire, found objects, etc.) to make my jewelry. Today I use gemstones and incorporate alternative materials in my work. You just have to make it happen and keep going.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
My jewelry is inspired by the beauties of nature and the world of fantasy, resulting in big, bold and out of this world jewels. I used silver, semi-precious stones, pearls, glass, vinyl, plastic, resin, among other materials to create wearable art. I am super proud of the work I am creating and my fearlessness to execute my crazy ideas (laughs). I work fast but diligently. What sets me apart is that I understand design, I know the fabrication process, have the basic knowledge needed about the world of gemstones, and most importantly, talent and dedication.
Contact Info:
- Website: angelymartinez.net
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/angelymartinezjewelry/?hl=en
- Other: https://www.notjustalabel.com/angely-martinez
Image Credit:
Personal Photo: Bench Portrait shot on film by Atlanta based photographer Nicole Hernandez (https://www.instagram.com/skull.lady_/?hl=en)
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