By Claudina Hannon
Alexandria-based jewelry designer Jamie Park is bringing female empowerment to accessories through her jewelry pieces. Park’s new collection, I AM Jewelry, which launched this summer, is about creating more than just aesthetically pleasing design. Before moving to the metro area, Park earned her master’s degree in Jewelry and Metals at Rhode Island School of Design. She then worked in New York for Michael Kors as well as indie designers. But in 2008, she moved to D.C. to teach at the Corcoran College of Art and Design. Although I AM Jewelry is only Park’s second jewelry collection, she is no amateur designer. Park has received a number of awards, has participated in various exhibitions and even uses 3-D printing as one of the first steps in her design process.
“The initial idea was from my family and friends and how strong we are as women. The resilience always inspires me, especially my mom,” explains Park on the vision behind the I AM Jewelry line. “I was so fascinated by her positive attitude. I guess that inspired me a lot, so I just started making rings to allow us to express our resilience and strength as women.”
That strength is the overall message behind the collection, which is mainly composed of silver and gold rings with colored gemstones spelling out inspirational words and phrases like kind, amazing and happy, among others. These words can be viewed as simple yet positive messages. The jewelry pieces are reminders of our own perceptions of self, which is brilliant and empowering at the same time.
So what’s next for Jamie Park? Fans can expect an expansion of her line into the fine jewelry realm, which will include diamonds and plenty of semiprecious stones. Park is focused on bringing in high-quality materials for each piece within the different price points she might explore for each of the two lines, including the personalized pieces, which she now offers through her I AM Jewelry line. As far as what to expect design-wise for her future collection, Park says: “We love all these fun color gemstones. We’re going to use a lot more color for the next season, but we still love the pure, simple white diamond as well. It’s going to be fun.”
The new collection will be available during the holiday season. Park also shares that her biggest inspiration for that line is the city of Stockholm, a “really clean and minimal aesthetic with hints of funky colors or messages—just a little bit of a twist.” Customers can also expect Park’s collection to be available in Alexandria stores soon.