“Wander the world. Lust for everything.” Such is the motto behind Rammy Lee Park‘s jewelry line, Wanderluster. Drawing inspiration from around the world, the name seems all the more fitting for this eclectic collection of bracelets, rings, and necklaces. two+seven got to talking with Park about where she’s wandered for ideas and what she’s lusting after in the future.
two + seven: Give us some background: how did you get started in jewelry design?
Rammy Lee Park: I don’t really know, it just… started! I’m not trained as a designer, I’m a filmmaker and a writer, but I’ve always made things, ever since I was a kid. I always have various projects going on. I made my own jewelry for a time but got tired of the standard beads and shapes that were available. When the chance to create my own designs came along through a family opportunity, there was no way I saying no to that. Many of the elements in my pieces are custom molds and hand cut trapezoids; so you’re not really seeing these particular elements elsewhere, which I’m really proud of.
2+7: “Each WANDERLUSTER collection evokes the rich and unique cultural palette of one inspiring location after another.” What are some of the cultures/places that have inspired your jewelry?
RLP: The first two collections (SS12 and Holiday, upcoming) were an interpretation of night and day in one of my favorite places, Death Valley, CA. I have upcoming collections inspired by Istanbul, Reykjavik, a recent trip to Ireland… Travel is a really important part of my life, and to incorporate that into my design work was a no-brainer. I’m super inspired by the architecture, the colors, the traditions of a place, but most of all, its spirit.
2+7: Take us through your design process.
RLP: All of my designs start off as gestural drawings, and I build the whole collection that way, just sketching things out really loosely in graphite. Once I feel like the collection is complete, then I start to transfer those loose ideas into Illustrator. I only figure out things like color or dimensions then. Once those are complete, we send to our manufacturers for production in limited quantities.
2+7: Any advice you would give to aspiring designers?
RLP: Don’t overthink. And even though people say “everything has already been done before,” I still think its important for anyone creating things to have originality as a goal. I don’t like to wear or buy things that everyone else seems to have, so why should the things I make be any different?
2+7: What’s next?
RLP: We have a limited edition piece on Of A Kind (as of August 7th) , which I was very excited about. I created a bracelet/necklace combo just for them and its only available on their site. We are releasing our holiday collection shortly, and I just got back our production samples for SS13 (Istanbul-inspired). Lots of deep, vibrant colors. And we have a few things up our sleeve which will make the rest of the year pretty exciting – all in our first year! So I can’t and won’t complain.
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1 comment
Meera says:
Aug 19, 2012
Their jewelry is absolutely beautiful! Those necklaces are gorgeous.
xoxo,
Meera
Twitter + Instagram: @meeranavlakha