POP.SEE.CUL

MEET POP.SEE.CUL DESIGNERS PIA HAKKO AND PELIN YASAR. THEIR PERSONAL, SARCASTIC, AND WITTY APPROACH TO design is just what we love. The Unlimited sat down with the two inspiring women to see what they are up to.

Tell us how pop.see.cul started and when and where?  

Pop.see.cul started in London three years ago while we were at college. We decided to start an art and design blog and use it as a visual diary for our work and inspirations. The brand itself authentically emerged two years ago when we decided to do a t-shirt collection that reflected the blog's mood and character. 

Who writes the brilliant copy for your line ?  Our moods seem to have a secret way of working simultaneously (which is great for bitter comments on days we feel blue, which then gets placed on shirts) and synchronicity keeps us on the same page.

What inspires you to create? Everything from little conversations we hear from strangers to philosophical quotes. Movies, music, TV shows, books, magazines. 

Where would you like to be in 5 years?  First and foremost, mentally happy and still as passionate as we are now—if not more— about our work. It would also be ideal if we were physically in between London, New York and Istanbul, with pop.see.cul shops in each city. As an ongoing way of expanding the company, we constantly add new products each season and aim for the brand to get bigger and bigger. 

If you had a pick a city that fits your brands the most which would it be and why ? London! Because it is Pop.see.cul’s birthplace and just like the brand, it’s exciting, sarcastic, clever and ageless. 

I love your FOREVER IS A PLACE line, something about the text you use makes my feels its very personal who do you design for?  Oh, anyone and everyone! Ex-boyfriends, current boyfriends, enemies (not that we have any!), friends that just get you, parents, strangers… For every collection we aim to create a story and a personality to go along with it. For our latest "Forever is a Place" collection, we got inspired by the emotional connection between cities and people. How cities affect us, how they make us feel at home.

Tell us a secret ? We’re both pretty good with harmless lies.

Whats on your playlist this spring ?

Singtank - Suspicious Minds

The Dead Weather - I Cut Like A Buffalo 

Soko - We Might Be Dead By Tomorrow 

Kraftwerk - The Model 

(You can check all our favorite music on our blog under “Music for the Week”)

http://popseecul.com

Philantrophies: Jewelry Designer Dana Bronfman

John Lennon once said, “Life is what happens while you are busy making other plans,” a statement to which Dana Bronfman can totally relate. The young jewelry designer/social entrepreneur and NYC freshman has already launched her first jewelry line in the fall, and we got to sit down with her and hear how it all happened.

THE UNLIMITED - What made you move to New York?

Dana Bronfman - I originally came out here to take some classes, which turned into applying for an internship with a designer to gain more experience. I then decided to stay even longer for a Jewelry design program at Pratt. I think I was subconsciously ready for a change. Since moving here I felt like my world opened up. I was having such a great time and didn’t want to leave,  so I kept postponing my departure, saying, ‘I’ll just stay a little longer, just a little longer.’ I then just realized this is where I want to be and this is where I should stay. I’m in love with New York, and I’m ready for it. 

TU- Tell us about being a social entrepreneur in the jewelry industry.

DB- I worked in the non-profit sector for two years and then transitioned into jewelry, so I wanted to do something creative but also keep a philanthropic aspect. My business follows both a philanthropic and sustainable model; I donate a portion of the proceeds of my sales to different charity organizations that support green jewelry practices, natural resource conservation, and educational and art scholarships for at-risk youth. 

All the metals that I work with are recycled. The caster that I use does certified recycled metals, I rarely use stones, but when I do, I only use natural stones.

I MAKE PIECES THAT I FEEL ARE BOTH UNEXPECTED AND TIMELESS.

TU- Who do you design for?

DB- I design what I like, so I suppose I design for people like myself; bold, aren’t afraid to be a bit different, and look beyond just owning “cool” stuff. My clients want to know where their products came and that they’re high quality and going to stay with them for a long time. I don’t create only in order to make money. I make pieces that I feel are both unexpected and timeless. Everything is handmade in New York. 

TU- Is New York your inspiration?

DB - I find it incredibly inspiring. In fact, it was at the essence of the mood board for this collection. These earrings (pictured, right) for example, were inspired by panels, rivets and bolts of the Williamsburg Bridge, and gave them a grainy and matte finishes to create an industrial quality. New York has this opulent, glamorous beauty, and I try capture the contrast of that in my collection. 

Selected pieces are available for purchase at DanaBronfman.com 

Designer Profile: Tini Courtney

Tini Courtney is the founder of HOWL, a handmade jewelry line. She creates out of her shop in Venice, California. Her pieces reflect her own spirituality, the people she creates for, and the materials she uses. 

How did you get into jewelry?

I was actually in school for fashion design. I slowly realized that I was not a fan of clothing and that whole industry. It was like a year before I graduated I started making my own jewelry and just kind of messing around. People were really interested in what I was doing so I started selling stuff, and I got some press right away. I had the name “Handle Only With Love” (HOWL) as something I just thought of and I just wrote it down.  Then the whole dreamcatcher thing just felt like it fit so perfectly with the name of it. So I built a website and it just really took off. I was promoting, throwing parties at clubs and then slowly fizzled out of that, and was able to just do this for the last four years and I am still doing it.

How much has social media impacted your success?

I like to do everything myself, unfortunately I am really stubborn like that. I mean obviously instagram has worked wonders with my business too, which is so nice because you can post something and it is so accessible for someone to see it. I have tried the e-commerce thing so many times, but I am so particular about how my pieces look on a website that I had made my website more of a gallery and less about selling. I think its more about how people see something now and contact me to get more custom, which is what I love to do anyways. A lot of times people will send me their old jewelry or an old jewelry box and I will just recreate whatever I can from there and then give them back the rest of it.

How much spirituality is in your personal life?

I was definitely raised by a mother who is spiritually connected, head in the clouds but feet on the ground kind of woman. She has been doing her own art for the last four years and is very strong and independent, but very out there and does lots of yoga and meditates a lot. It is something I was raised around so for me it is just kind of part of my life. The whole crystal thing and that whole aspect of it, and that being tied into my work is also something that is very important to me. I am such a nerd when it comes to crystals like I am obsessed. They all carry different properties, and I am still learning so much. There is so much to learn, and there are so many different kinds and different ways to use them. It is really interesting to me.

"I want people to feel connected to the pieces."

Do you feel there is a healing power you are sending out with your jewelry?

Absolutely, and it is all about your intention. When I make them I definitely have that intention behind. A lot of people that like these pieces are also attracted to that aspect of it. It is just subconscious you can not help it, like there is a reason why you like certain pieces.

Do you see yourself taking stuff that you are doing by hand and moving them to big manufacturer?

That has been such a battle the last couple of years, but I honestly do not. I really have no desire to do that. I think being able to hand make something and have a timeless piece is so unique. Everyone is always like the money is there, but I really don’t care to be honest. I would rather just like really refine my skills and be able to charge more and be happy doing it. That has what has been happening the past couple years. I have been practicing so much, and learning more things, and it has become more valuable because my time has become more valuable.

“If it was not hand made it would not have as much of a story. It would be going against everything I am about.”

This year for Art Basel I am doing an installation that is definitely going to change my path just because the materials and the category that these pieces are going in. I am using gold leaf and they are 3.5ft metal sculptures and I am implementing pieces of my jewelry into these sculptures. They are really beautiful and I have never done anything like this mind blowing to myself so I am very excited about Basel this year. This installation is in the middle of the Wynwood Walls which is this amazing place to have this. Those pieces to me are like pieces of fine art. 

If you are going to Art Basel in Miami go check out Tini's installation at the Wynwood Walls on 25th and NW 2nd Ave. in Wynwood. 

http://www.handleonlywithlove.com