Meet Our Newest Artisan, Barbara of Évocateur
Enter the whimsical world of wearable art.
We are so excited to kick off artisan month and introduce new, talented women to our incredible community! Meet Barbara Ross-Innamorati, president and founder of Évocateur and our newest artisan.
We sat down (virtually) to find out more about Barbara, Évocateur, her style inspiration, and work/life during COVID-19. Here’s what she had to say (*with a few edits)
– Tessa
Q: Hello! First things first, tell us about yourself. What would you like our followers to know?
A: I am the designer, founder, and president of Évocateur and we are celebrating 11 years in business this year. We design and fabricate every single piece in our lovely, light-filled studio in Norwalk, Connecticut. We are proudly made in America! We are also 100% woman-owned and operated.
Q: 11 years, congratulations! How did you first become a jewelry designer?
A: My journey to becoming a jewelry designer began when I saw the painting, “The Kiss,” by the Impressionist artist Gustav Klimt. Inspired, I became determined to create jewelry using 22K gold and sterling silver leaf.
I had no formal training. I had a vision of what I wanted to make but not a clue how to start. There was no jewelry being made this way, so I began experimenting. I looked into the centuries-old gilding process artisans used in the decorative arts—
—and I adapted that process for jewelry design and fabrication. It took me 18 months of trial and error before I figured out a process and produced a product. To this day, my team and I continue to innovate and improve upon this process that I invented nearly 13 years ago.
Sometimes we have to look outside our industry to find solutions.
Q: How did you come up with your brand name?
A: Ever since I started wearing my jewelry it has evoked comments, questions, and conversations. Everywhere I’d go, I’d explain the significance of specific pictures in my work.
As a result, we named our jewelry Évocateur, which in French means evocative (or one who is doing the evoking) – bringing strong images, memories, or feelings to mind.
Q: How would you describe your jewelry?
A: It’s colorful, art-driven, and has an exuberant spirit. It has a modern style but a vintage vibe.
Our pieces have a very specific look and design, owing to the use of gold leaf and silver leaf as well as our signature flecking as a design element.
Our designs offer a big impact at a reasonable price.
Additionally – we have a growing custom business, transforming personal images into jewelry. This customization creates an even stronger emotional bond between our customers and our jewelry.
Q: Walk us through your design process, where do you start? What inspired your designs that are now available from Silpada?
A: I always start with an image or graphic in mind, and then I work with our artists to bring that image to life. We use computer software to create a mock-up of the design and from there we create the actual samples.
Once we have the samples, we wear the pieces for a week to see how they fit and feel before we put them in production.
and the blue palette looks great with denim.”
Our Fiesta Azul design for Silpada is actually a design from one of our incredible artists, Mari Gyorgyey. We love the whimsy and energy of the design, and the blue palette looks great with denim.
For our Skyline Cuff, I was inspired by two very different skylines:
New York City and the Rocky Mountains. It could be either skyline and both of these very different locales are what makes our country so diverse and beautiful.
Q: How would you describe your personal style? Do you have a favorite design?
A: I am the poster girl for bold gold and silver. I love big statement pieces that make me feel like I’m wearing art on my body.
My jewelry is a reflection of my personality. I am an extrovert.
As for a favorite? It’s hard to choose just one – they are all like my children! But I happen to love our Creepy Crawlers Cuff, it’s a three-inch wide cuff with images of bugs and beetles. I love it because it is unexpected. You would expect to find flowers and butterflies on jewelry, but bugs?
See more of Barbara’s personal jewelry collection in her ‘What’s Your Jewelry Box?’ video here.
Q: What core values do you hold true throughout your business and brand practices?
A:
- Always be kind.
- Break the rules.
- Be authentic and honest, ethical, and genuine. Your brand and designs have to be a reflection of you and not a copy of someone else.
- Believe in yourself and have the courage of your convictions.
- Keep innovating and evolving. My team and I are always experimenting with new materials, designs, and processes. We are always improving, and that is our mantra.
Q: What do you hope people take away from your designs?
A: I hope they feel the creativity and passion that went into their creation. Each of our pieces is made by hand and each one is unique. I hope they choose the piece that speaks to them and they enjoy wearing it.
I hope it brings them joy. Many of our customers become Évocateur collectors because of the emotional bond they form with our jewelry.
What’s in Your Jewelry Box?
Take a glimpse at Barbara’s personal jewelry collection. Join us (@SilpadaDesigns) Wednesdays on Facebook for a tour of our artisans or team members’ personal jewelry collections!
More Jewelry, More Stories.
Learn more about Artisan Month here.
Silpada x JUST: Together We Are Stronger.
This month, 40% of artisan jewelry sales will be donated to JUST to support underserved female entrepreneurs affected by COVID-19.
Learn more here.
Shop artisan jewelry on Silpada.com to donate.
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