The year 2013 is over. For me, it was a year of growth and expansion. A year that gave closure to what was the beginning of my path as a jeweler.
When I created my first jewelry collection in 2009, I was fortunate to find the perfect place to sell and show my work. This place was magical and festive. It was called Bazar Fusión, an itinerant design fair that lasted three days, and was held outdoors every couple of months in different parks in Mexico City. Manuel Sekkel and Caro Kopeloff created this joyful and vibrant event, emulating the design fairs that took place in Buenos Aires, their hometown.
Selling my work in Bazar Fusión allowed me to meet the people who bought my work. It was a great opportunity to get direct feedback and make new friends, and for many years I connected with a thriving creative community that continues to be an important part of my life.
About a year ago, when the city government made it increasingly difficult to get permits for Bazar Fusión to settle in city parks, Caro and Manu decided it was time to find a permanent home. They found and restored a magnificent mansion in the heart of the Colonia Juárez, and created Casa Fusión, offering each designer a space for rent. I joined the project, and opened my first store in June 2013.
When I created my first jewelry collection in 2009, I was fortunate to find the perfect place to sell and show my work. This place was magical and festive. It was called Bazar Fusión, an itinerant design fair that lasted three days, and was held outdoors every couple of months in different parks in Mexico City. Manuel Sekkel and Caro Kopeloff created this joyful and vibrant event, emulating the design fairs that took place in Buenos Aires, their hometown.
Selling my work in Bazar Fusión allowed me to meet the people who bought my work. It was a great opportunity to get direct feedback and make new friends, and for many years I connected with a thriving creative community that continues to be an important part of my life.
About a year ago, when the city government made it increasingly difficult to get permits for Bazar Fusión to settle in city parks, Caro and Manu decided it was time to find a permanent home. They found and restored a magnificent mansion in the heart of the Colonia Juárez, and created Casa Fusión, offering each designer a space for rent. I joined the project, and opened my first store in June 2013.
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Before I discovered jewelry design, I wanted to be an interior decorator. Designing my own store fulfilled that dream. I teamed up with my father (a wonderful architect), and together we designed the furniture and the display. The store combined antique objects I had collected from flea markets, with industrial inspired furniture made of steel and wood. The result was powerful and welcoming.
Not long after opening my store, I realized I had just created the type of job I had run away from years ago when I worked for other people, except it was now my own business. In order to have a larger production and meet demand, I was casting half of my collection at a local studio and finishing it at home. After months of spending my weekends at the store and working all week to make pieces to sell, I was sick and burned out. More than the long hours, what exhausted me was to see that my work was becoming more a production and less a personal exploration.
When I realized how my creativity was being affected, I decided to close my store, even when it continued to be very successful. I was sad to leave my community at Fusión. Caro and Manu were always very generous and supportive, but I felt it was time to move forward on my path as an artist.
When I realized how my creativity was being affected, I decided to close my store, even when it continued to be very successful. I was sad to leave my community at Fusión. Caro and Manu were always very generous and supportive, but I felt it was time to move forward on my path as an artist.
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Since then, I have taken time off to re-focus. My vision of what I can do, and where I can contribute the most is changing. The more I live, the more I realize that I can experience life on my own terms. I want to re-connect with my work on a more personal level, so that it is a path of self discovery.
The creative freedom I get from making one of a kind jewelry pieces and selling my work online, is more than I imagined. I can now learn, experiment, travel, and communicate more, and all of this enriches my vision and my art. In this New Year, I choose to do things that make me feel alive, brave and generous.
The creative freedom I get from making one of a kind jewelry pieces and selling my work online, is more than I imagined. I can now learn, experiment, travel, and communicate more, and all of this enriches my vision and my art. In this New Year, I choose to do things that make me feel alive, brave and generous.
