Meet Angely Martinez

Accessory designer and all-around amazing person Angely Martinez is essential when thinking of the NYC creative community. The artist creates ornate forms taking inspiration from nature to create a wide breadth of unique works. Through our latest interview, we talk with Angely about her inspiration, advice, and hopes for the fashion industry.

Two Truths and a Lie

(Answers at the bottom of the interview)

My favorite color is red

I love sweet potatoes

I learned how to play the Clarinet in 8th grade

Would you rather…

be able to smell the future or hear into the past? Please explain why.

I would rather hear into the past. As an artist, I am fascinated with art history, the compositions of painting and the craftsmanship of the artisans back then. For me, I would love to hear how they solved problems, how they were able to create such detailed jewels and objects, what tools they use, how they lived, etc. It’s important to understand the past to create and continue to push forward.

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Some Questions with Angely Martinez

Who has been your biggest support throughout your career?

Multiple people have been supporting my career for years. My mom has been incredibly supportive throughout this journey, my brother helps me with running errands for my business from time to time, and so do my friends. Along my path, I’ve always found people that believed in me (internship supervisor, bosses, teachers etc.), even when I couldn’t even imagine I could build a career as a designer. I’m very thankful for Karen Bachmann (my professor at FIT), Judi Powers of Judi Powers Fine Jewelry, Lorraine West of Lorraine West Jewelry, and my mentor Jules Kim from Bijules for all the support and knowledge they have shared with me. It’s important to have people around you to tell you the truth. It takes a village to make you who you are.

What is the best thing about being a creative in NYC?

The best thing about being a creative in the city has to be the community of creatives. It is important to be surrounded by like minded individuals and artists in other fields as well. It helps you grow an artist and in the process, pushes your community forward. I’m a Jewelry Designer, but sometimes I need a photographer, or a graphic designer, etc.

Another great thing about NYC are the museums. The MET is my all time favorite place for art. I just love to go there, pick a show at a time, and immerse myself into understanding the past to inform my present and innovate for the future.

What led you to become a jewelry maker?

The visual arts have always been part of my life since I was a child. In business school, I took a Jewelry Making class in the art department and fell in love with the medium. Years after graduation and while working a full-time job, I found myself taking continuing ed courses in fabrication during the evenings at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT). That’s the moment I knew I wanted to be a jewelry designer. So I decided to enroll in the Jewelry Design Program. After 3 years of studies at FIT, I graduated in 2018 and launched VERMILLION, my first collection, later that year under the Bijules Incubator.

You often seem to reference the Baroque and Rococo periods in your work. What about these periods of ornament and decoration inspires you?

The Baroque and Rococo periods are 2 of my favorites in art history. From the Baroque Period, I love the compositions of the paintings, the colors, the backgrounds, the splendor, the drama, the details. It is as if the painter is catching something in movement, a moment, a feeling, etc. At the moment, I am really into the Dutch Baroque Masters, and there’s a show at the MET about their collection. I just love the landscapes, seeing a glimpse of their lives and how photographic the paintings are. Rembrandt, Pieter de Hooch and Peter Paul Rubens are three of my favorite artists from this period.

The Rococo has the most detailed and opulent architecture and interiors, which I love immensely. They clearly loved presuming their fortunes (laughs). It reminds me of fairy tales, like almost not living in reality. The royals and their courts, back then, lived in bubbles, completely absent minded of what was happening in the real world. The artists, designers, couturier, florists, craftsmen, and jewelers, among many others, created these dreamlands for them. So I admire what the artists built and left behind. Fragonard and Boucher are two of my favorite artists from Rococo.

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What do you feel are the most important tenets in building a brand in the current climate?

Be YOU and stay true to yourself, no matter what! People are buying more than a piece of jewelry, or a bag or a t-shirt from you; they are buying your creativity, your values, your voice, your visions, how you made them feel. They want to know YOU. All you need is one yes to start. And if they don’t value you, keep it moving. There’s a whole world out there and there’s space for everyone. It simply takes time. Nothing is built overnight, so it’s important to pace yourself.

How do you hope the fashion industry changes or evolves?

As the author of the BIPOC Open Letter to the Jewelry Industry, with over 50+ BIPOC signatory designers and industry professionals, I would love to see more BIPOC Jewelry Designers being hired for jewelry jobs in the fashion industry, and more collaborations if possible. It is how you honor and respect the craft of jewelry, but the fashion world is lacking both of those things at the moment. We need to value each other’s skills and allow BIPOC independent talent, who are the innovators, to be part of the conversation. That’s how you stop the co-opting of cultures. I am still trying to understand where the disconnect is myself.

How has the conversation around sustainability impacted your current work?

I want to use the term Responsibility instead. There are many ways to do this. For me is sourcing for my gemstones, using eco-friendly studio practices to reduce waste, re-use metals in every piece and recycle designs I want to remake. In terms of sourcing gemstones, I tried to work with heritage gemstones, vintage carvings, and stones that I know where they are coming from. It’s important for me to know I am not supporting unethical practices, and I continue to work on this today. There’s alway room for more learning. I create tools out of broken drill bits and other steel pieces. Any bits of leftover silver, I re-use to make other parts and beads for the granulation technique . So it’s about making the best out of what you have, and creating a career with longevity for the future.

Any final comments? (This is your electronic soapbox for one last answer.)

I want to see my community continue to succeed in 2021 and beyond. I’m excited for what’s coming next and for all the wonderful opportunities being created for BIPOC Talent. As for me, I’m currently working on my Opal Collection, coming out some time this year. Stay tuned.

Two Truths and a Lie answer key

Truth: My favorite color is red

Lie: I love sweet potatoes

Truth: I learned how to play the Clarinet in 8th grade

Angely Martinez