We love all of the amazing independent designers out there and we wanted to find out more about what makes these creative types tick. If you do too, check out more of our Indie Designer Interviews.

We're pleased to introduce the fresh, modern designs of Lauren Markley. You can find the work of this Princeton, NJ based jewelry designer at her Etsy shop, AntiGenre.

Tell us a little about yourself and your work. AntiGenre is a collection of handcrafted jewelry that features lots of sterling silver, unusual brass findings, gems and vintage glass. I've always favored jewelry that is a little edgy and not overly feminine or romantic, so I tend to create pieces that have a vaguely industrial feel to them. At the same time, that industrial sense is softened a bit by colorful stones and vintage glass beads. I guess my work is a bit hard to categorize. I chose the name AntiGenre before I even went to work making jewelry for my shop partly because I knew I would have a tough time focusing on one particular style, and partly just because I thought the word sounded cool!

How did you get started as a designer? I've always been a creative person. I own a small fair trade company called Fair Industry for which I do some of the jewelry design. It is immensely rewarding work that is making a positive change in many lives. I'm not involved in the production process, however, and I need to keep my hands busy. I discovered Etsy in early 2007 and was so inspired by all the beautiful handmade items I saw that I decided to try making my own jewelry as sort of a side project and an outlet for my creative energies. AntiGenre was born, I fell in love with hammering and soldering, and jewelry-making quickly took over my life!

Any advice you would give to aspiring designers? Develop your own style, and only create what you love! It's easy to follow trends and to make what you know will sell, but there's no substance to that. I believe that following my own creative instincts and developing my own distinct style has been critical to both the growth in business that I've experience over the last six months and to my sanity. I couldn't keep working if I didn't love what I was creating.

I also have to say that persistence, even to the point of obsession, is extremely important. It takes huge amounts of effort to market and promote your product, and sometimes, when sales are slow, it might not seem worth it. It is always worth the extra effort!

What inspires your work? I draw inspiration from pretty much everything around me – art, architecture, nature, my travels, and people I meet. I get ideas when I'm listening to my favorite music, when I'm at work, and on the train (the burned out buildings along the Northeast Corridor train line are fascinating). I'm always trying to find ways to represent all the influences around me in my work.

Who are your favorite designers? I love a lot of the well-known designers from Japan, especially Yohji Yamamoto and Rei Kawakubo. Their ideas that fashion didn't need to be pretty or sexy to be beautiful and their architectural, deconstructed approach to design were revolutionary. I love independent designers who break the rules like that and I try to support them whenever possible.

What are your top fashion & beauty must-haves? Big earrings and necklaces! I'm not a petite person, so jewelry that is too dainty makes me look huge.

Where can people find your work? The only place I'm selling my handcrafted jewelry online now is in my Etsy shop at antigenre.etsy.com. I'm trying to expand into wholesale and consignment, so I hope to be seen in boutiques around the country soon!

Anything else? Many thanks to StyleList for this great opportunity, and thanks for checking out my shop!