Exploring Mimi Jung's Creative Side at the Brook&Lyn Studio

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• Left, pieces from Jung's Medaled collection. Right, Mimi in her studio.
• A wall of yarn and rope.
• Finished jewelry.
• Hand turned maple wood cones by Jung's husband.
• Left, the designer's dining room.
• A cuff inspired by a cactus in her front yard.
• A few of Jung's new weavings.
• Plants in the window.
• At right, one of Jung's three dogs, Sunday.

Mimi Jung's site, Brook&Lyn, began with outfit posts and DIYs, but after the return policy at Gilt Group left Jung with a pair of shoes she didn't want, her blog became a successful marketplace. Not long after she began selling under "Brook&Lyn Vintage," the designer took a trip to Hong Kong where she bought several agates that inspired a very popular necklace, and later, an entire collection. "Shopbop came to me, Anthropologie came to me, Fred Segal," Jung explained, "People started calling me a jewelry designer."

Jung, who doesn't like to do things the traditional way, wasn't exposed to the fashion design world but has found much success in her way of working, "You restrict yourself if you know too much," she said. Seven months ago, she and her husband, Brian Hurewitz, moved from their home in Brooklyn, New York to Silver Lake. We found the duo and their three dogs in the Brook&Lyn design studio and along with a tour, got a sneak peek at another Jung venture, weaving.

What made you decide to move from Brooklyn to LA?
"The weather. [In NY] there's one week of spring and one week of fall, then it's hot as hell in the summer with a crazy winter where your teeth are hurting. I had never really experienced East LA; because of Brian's work I'd always stayed in Beverly Hills and that's not my scene but I was like, 'There's got to be more. The weather is great; all I need is a house for my three dogs and I'm good.'"

Is that how you landed in Silver Lake?
"I think that was the Captain Obvious move. People were like, 'Oh you live in Brooklyn? You will like Silver Lake.' So we got the Mini Cooper and we moved to Silver Lake. I think everybody that moves from Brooklyn does those two things."

What's your favorite spot in the area?
"Mohawk General Store. I feel like they have a really unique voice for LA. The owners are amazing and one has become a really nice friend of mine. They carry some of my stuff. It's been the best place to establish us as a LA brand."

Where do you find your inspiration?
"If you see my past four collections, there's a shape that ties everything together—it's the circle. Anything I draw always comes back to this perfect circle and then I build from there. I think it's my sculpture background; I just make it wearable. I'm immediately drawn to, 'Does it work as an object if you lay it on the table?'"

Tell us about the materials in your collection.
"It's different per collection because the materials change, but I think that from now on it will be variations of metal. I've had four collections that are totally different from each other and it's hard to build an audience that makes sense for each one. This collection, 'Medaled,' is the most wearable and it's where I'm at right now with my aesthetic."

What led you to weaving?
"Because I like making things I need to constantly be challenged. With jewelry, for a couple of months you're making your collection, then you're promoting it, selling it, and then you're in production, so there's a very small window when you're actually making something. I like to learn different methods of making things. I don't want to be some crazy national weaver, but I will use that later in something else."

Brook&Lyn is available at Creatures of Comfort on Melrose, Mohawk General Store on Sunset and online at brookandlyn.com.
· Brook&Lyn [Official Site]
· Daytripping to Shoe Designer Tiffany Tuttle's DTLA Workshop [Racked]