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During Of a Kind and Closet Rich's fashionable soirée a few weeks back, we encountered a super stylish gal sporting geometrically-inclined gems. After asking her who created these chevron shaped baubles that we absolutely had to have, we were pleased to learn that she was, in fact, the designer behind them. Elena Coleman of LA's TOMTOM Jewelry is a former architect who uses her design savvy background to construct stylistic statement pieces with a futuristic twist.
What inspired you to start designing?
"I previously worked as an architect at great firm her in LA called Marmol Radziner & Associates, where I was designing houses as well as working on commercial projects, such as stores for James Perse and Vince. I moved to New York for my husband's job in 2008, right when the economy tanked. The mortgage crisis was really bad for everyone—especially architects—so I decided to start making jewelry."
How did you develop TOMTOM's unique style?
"My aesthetic is definitely a result of my design process and my architecture training. I design everything on the computer using 3-dimensional modeling software. I love sharp angles, pyramids and geometric shapes. There is a precision you can get from computer aided design that you just can't get from hand carving wax. On a side note, all of the buildings I designed in architecture school looked like triangles. I think I have an aversion to rounded corners."
Who would you love to see wearing TOMTOM?
"Tilda Swinton, Rooney Mara, Florence Welch, January Jones, Rihanna, Diane Kruger...there are so many!"
What can we expect from your upcoming fall collection?
"More angles, more chevrons, more pyramids—and a little bit of Deco influence thrown in for good measure."
What's next for TOMTOM?
"Spring 2013! I just had a baby in January so I'm learning how to juggle a business and a baby. It's fun and hectic to say the least."
· TOMTOM Jewelry [Official Site]
· Of a Kind and Closet Rich's Fashionable LA Soiree [Racked]