Inside the Eco-Friendly Mind of Loren Hope Designs

If you’ve flipped through the latest edition of Eco-Beautiful Wedding Magazine and have been gaga over where you can snatch those colorful necklaces, your in luck! Eco-friendly designer Loren Hope Designs is giving away this exquisite turquoise and green necklace worn in the latest EBW shoot!  Made from eco-friendly metals and manufactured in the US, each piece is artfully crafted and simply elegant. Versatile and delicately feminine, these pieces hold their own whether you wear them with a very button-down shirt or a wedding gown. I had the opportunity to chat with Loren Hope and was able to have a glimpse inside the mind of Loren Hope Designs.

Win this necklace! Click here!

Persephone: How did you enter this industry?

Loren Hope: I have been intrigued with stones and beads ever since I was a little girl. My mother told me that when I was around 4 I was mesmerized by marbles. When I was a teenager, my grandmother owned a huge thrift shop where she would give me free reign. I would take home bags of costume jewelry and take apart the pieces and reassemble them into my own works of art and give them to all my friends. I was very involved with drawing and painting in high school, and went to college to study fine art. I took a few metal design classes and found myself creating jewelry again. Jewelry design is ultimately a perfect marriage of my passions for stones, art, design and fashion.

Persephone: Why did you decide on using eco-friendly metals?

Loren Hope: One of the fundamental principles of my design philosophy is quality before quantity. My mission is to produce gorgeous jewels that are going to be treasured for years. The costume jewelry industry is enormous and so much of it is mass produced with plastic and inexpensive metals; it falls apart after wearing it for one season and ends up in the trash. We produce everything by hand with careful attention to detail- making sure all rings, pins and baubles are secure.

Persephone: What challenges do you face when working with these materials?

Loren Hope: Where do I start? Because the materials I use are not produced on a mass scale, there are always inconsistencies in availability. Our best selling styles always seem to feature a bead or stone that becomes discontinued. It is frustrating, but it’s also a good thing…it keeps me on my toes and keeps me from getting complacent with my designs.

Persephone: What inspires you when creating a collection?    

Loren Hope: Without a doubt, one of my biggest inspirations is fabulous, vintage costume jewelry. I love all the oversized pieces; enormous Swarovski brooches, cascading bib necklaces with luscious, opaque colored glass beads, big clip-on earrings. I recently came across an elderly woman (she was 92) who was shopping with her daughter (who was in her 70’s). She was absolutely drenched in her old costume jewelry- huge strands of pearls with the biggest glass pendant you’ve ever seen. She was dressed like the Queen. It was completely impractical…but it made her feel beautiful and it expressed her personality. I thought to myself, “I want to create jewelry that has that effect on women.”

Persephone: If you could design a piece for any person in the world, who would it be and why?

Loren Hope: Michelle Obama. I love her style! She wears pieces that are timeless and often have that vintage-glam factor. She is not afraid of rich, bright color and always looks fabulous!

Persephone: What does the future hold for Loren Hope Designs?

Loren: The excitement (and sometimes stress) in owning your own business is not knowing what the future holds. That being said- I do plan on building the line to offer more styles. I would love to partner with another jewelry or clothing designer to come out with an exclusive collection!

Cheers!

Persephone Efessiou

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