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I love the creativity of the human spirit; whether it is playing a magnificent sonata or designing a stellar piece of jewelry. I believe it is all about the same thing -- creating something beautiful. One of the reasons this comes naturally to me is because of my Southern heritage. Growing up in the South, I was deeply influenced by my beautiful and sophisticated Mother and Grandmother, whose soft, Southern style is certainly reflected in my jewelry designs.
I have strived to create a look that combines my mother’s and grandmother’s classic approach and my edgier sense of design. I often refer to my look as Boho Chic. For instance, I adore pearls. I love the way they look against the skin and the luminescent quality of them, but I don’t feel like myself in traditional pearls. So I began to pair big, baroque pearls with chunky mine-cut diamond pieces, and an unexpected tying method. That design gave me the juxtaposition of elegance and hipness I was looking for and was the beginning of the Jordan Alexander Collection.
I am constantly searching for stones and materials that are sumptuous and gorgeous, but a little out of the ordinary---like the 300-year-old prayer beads or the big, rough-cut Burmese Rubies I’ve used in the collection.
Most of the designs for Jordan Alexander are produced in LA. However, I have stayed close to my Southern roots and our home office is located in Birmingham, Alabama. My business partner and I each have two sons. The name of our line combines the names of our oldest children, Jordan and Alexander.
Thank you for your interest in Jordan Alexander. I hope you enjoy wearing these pieces as much as I have enjoyed designing them.
Blog Entries by Theresa Bruno
New Inspiration, New Designs
I'm currently working to design the Jordan Alexander Spring/Summer collection for 2012. I love this stage of development because I do most of my designing in LA -- one of my favorite places to visit and work. On this trip to LA to work with my craftsmen, I stopped in...
A Celebration Of Love
The first day of February is this week and Valentine's Day is on my mind. I'm not so much thinking about where to go eat with my wonderful husband or how much I love those candy hearts with cute messages on them - I really just have the people I...
Many Questions Answered
Over the past several weeks, I've been asked to answer a number of questions from stores and publications about everything from my line of jewelry to my personal life. Usually, they want to know more about my collection - about me - to explore my world of jewelry. Many of...
New Years Resolutions
I don't usually make New Year's resolutions because they are mostly the same: lose ten pounds, love more, fret less - you know the kind. I usually make a little headway with the heartfelt ones, but the ten pounds seems to be there year after year.
Leading up to...
The Sliced Collection
Last week I had an experience that felt like it altered my game in the jewelry business. Rachel Strugatz and Women's Wear Daily unveiled my new collection, The Sliced Collection. I have been feverishly working for about six months on this concept of slicing pearls and setting them in such...
Of Sweet Italians And Sweet Potatoes
Imaginary phone conversation between two of my sisters-in-law this week:
SIL#1: "Should we let Theresa try to make sweet potato casserole again for Thanksgiving?"
SIL#2: "Have you LOST your ever-loving MIND?"
SIL#1: "Don't get sassy with me. I'm just trying to be nice."
SIL#2: "You can be nice. Foolish is...
Country Music, Slice Diamonds and Strong Women
So, Miranda Lambert is a tomboy who likes her stray dogs, her 1955 red pickup truck and her diamonds...not necessarily in that order, if you saw her Wednesday night at the Country Music Awards wearing Jordan Alexander diamond slice earrings!
Even as a trained classical pianist,...
Editor Previews
This week, I've been in New York meeting with editors to debut the Jordan Alexander Spring 2012 collection. It is so exciting to present my work to editors at some of the most influential
publications in the fashion industry. It's been fun and nerve-wracking to reveal what
I...
The Gift Of A Friend's Approval
My good friend Jennifer came over the other day to see some of the Jordan Alexander collection. As she was trying on pieces and we were talking about some new designs I am developing, I found myself amused at the path my collection has taken over the past several months....
Reflection on The New Year
Last week was the celebration of the New Year in the Jewish Faith. I was at my best friend's house for dinner on Rosh Hashanah and the dinner discussion was centered around the meaning of the holiday. I was reminded of how insightful the traditions of this time of year...
Finding Inspiration
Fall is finally here and it's so beautiful. I adore the crisp mornings and the golden afternoons. Like everyone else eagerly awaiting the approaching cooler temperatures and the first opportunity to wear that new black leather skirt hanging in the closet, I too have a number of outfits that I've...
Tragedy and Triumph Through Design
In the tragic aftermath following the devastation caused by natural disasters like Hurricane Irene, I'm always amazed when the human spirit reveals itself in the form of compassion, creativity and determination. As relief efforts begin to organize in communities and towns affected by such disasters, I always feel an upwelling...
Why I Wear Pearls
As a little girl, I had great female role models -- specifically, my grandmother and mother. To me, they represented what it meant to be a woman. They were smart, determined and passionate women whom I emulated, from their personalities to their sense of style. And, they both wore pearls.
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