I recently did a very fun interview for Fragrance Blog The Whale and The Rose thats up on their site now! Check it out to learn more about my favourite fragrances, some scent memories and how I always smell like metal and coconut oil. See the full interview HERE
I'm not sure what the source of this sudden nostalgia was but last night I found myself lost in the archives of early Dolorous and it struck me how much more personal this blog used to be. I would use this space to talk about my inspirations, my excitement about new materials, and even just my thoughts and feelings. Since those early days this blog has become more of a space to keep you up to date with press, sales events, and insights into the behind the scenes of the line. It may seem less personal but its no less a part of me. While the company has grown, certain aspects of the business have been outsourced, and employees have come and gone, Dolorous is still largely an independently run business. I design, make, and ship every piece. I write handwritten notes to every customer and gift wrap every order. I conceptualize and direct every photoshoot and often style them myself too. There are parts of me in every aspect of the line and I'm extremely proud of that, frankly, I wouldn't give it up for anything. In that way even though my posts are less 'about' me, they are in another way completely about me because I am Dolorous.
Being that involved does occasionally come with a price. Two weeks ago I got married to the love of my life, and two weeks from now I'll be leaving on my honeymoon to Japan. Taking time off from the line is always tricky but sometimes life (and love) come first! The shop won't be closed while I'm gone, shipment will just be delayed until I'm back and I'm sure I'll be returning with tons of new ideas and an excited and inspired energy to put into my designs.
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.
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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