FEATURED / DORA MAE JEWELRY
Dora Mae Jewelry Designs: One of a Kind
Dora Mae Pemberton: poet, singer, seamstress, jewelry collector, and now the inspiration behind her granddaughter Ansley Schrimsher's fabulous jewelry line. Ansley fell into jewelry design after discovering boxes upon boxes of vintage jewelry (collected over 50 years) in her grandmother's attic. She began playing with the pieces, combining a Victorian pendant with a piece from the 1960s, swapping colors and beads and creating unexpected, modern statement pieces that everyone wanted.
After doling out her grandmother's revamped collection to her family, Ansley started hunting for jewelry at estate sales and markets, and her hobby quickly turned professional. Every piece is one of a kind and handmade, a true homage, says Ansley. Here she chats about her grandmother, her design technique and how she gets away from it all.
Dora Mae (the woman) in a nutshell:
She was a real Renaissance woman. She grew up in the Depression and was the most resourceful person.
Ansley's unusual design process:
A huge part of my process is finding the pieces. I love putting unexpected pieces together – different eras and different styles. That, in and of itself, gives it a fresh modern look. I don't draw out the designs. I lay out big huge trays of old brooches, and pendants color coded and start playing.
On sticking to her style guns:
Every piece is one of a kind. I can make similar looking pieces but it’s never exactly the same. I love one of a kind things – that's my style. I have had the opportunity to mass produce but I just can't commit to that yet.
On why her pieces are named phrases like All Day in the Sun and Abundance of Life:
Each is a line from my grandmother's poetry. She wrote hundreds and hundreds of poems and even published a book, "The Selected Poems of Dora Mae Pemberton, 1966-2000." Each phrase can be taken in so many ways.
Best way to get away:
Drive less than an hour to the beach. Turn off my cell phone. Get a drink, a book and a lounge chair. I'm officially in La La Land.
Swimwear motto:
Don't ruin your perfect getaway by being self-conscious...love the body God gave you.
