We talked with Of a Kind designer, Faris Du Graf, about her designs, inspiration, and Captain Planet.

by Kaylen Ralph

Of a Kind is the internet’s hippest bazaar. And just like any destination marketplace, there’s a little something for everyone. From clothes to personal care products to paper goods, each independent designer featured on Of a Kind brings a unique worldview to the web. In Issue 5 of The Riveter, you can find additional interviews with two jewelry designers who have, at some point in their careers, collaborated with Of a Kind.

With a trained background in architecture, Faris Du Graf’s approach to jewelry design is rooted in creative construction and attention to shape. Linked bangles, dropped earrings and reversible collars with slightly unbalanced end caps, Du Graf’s jewelry seems to have sprung from the bedside sketchbook of an architect who dreams of bending the basic phenomena of physics to her wearable will.

 

Kaylen Ralph: You’ve said that Seattle’s constant rain is a necessary element of and in your “creative oasis.” On a rare sunny day, what are you doing? Still creating? Or seeking inspiration elsewhere?

FG: Sunny Seattle days are what we live for. The lakes, mountains and Sound are so near and easy to get away to, even if only for an hour or two. With that being said, sunny days haven’t been rare lately, it’s been Mediterraneanesque. So depending on my workload, I’ll chase the sun or hunker down in the studio.

 

KR: What aspects of your background in architecture inform your jewelry design process?

FG: More than anything, I’m a fan of good architecture and design. I get excited with innovative construction and clever silhouettes. When thinking up something new, I reach for both.

 

KR: I just finished reading The Clasp by Sloane Crosley, the entire plot of the novel centers around the pursuit of this fictional necklace that the main character becomes obsessed with. It got me thinking about jewelry and the role that it plays in pop culture. I was wondering what (if any) pop culture references or fictional jewelry designs or designers have inspired you — books, movies, television, etc.

FG: Oh my god, I am not a big media consumer. I don’t really watch TV and if I watch a movie, I often forget what it is. This is so silly, but the only thing that’s coming to mind is when I was younger, I can’t even say it was a form of inspiration, more like an emblem, is Captain Planet (and the Planeteers). All their powers were combined from their bracelets! But that’s the only thing that comes to mind as far as accessories that brought power. Now that I’m thinking about it, was [the power] in their hearts, or in their bracelets?

 

KR: I love the Captain Planet (that)! How would you describe the woman you design for? Who is your imagined, or perhaps, flesh-and-blood muse?

FG: I think it’s definitely a power woman. I feel like powerful women are so contagious, and I love that idea because everyone can feel powerful around them. I definitely [design for] a very bold woman that walks with a little strut and is fully engaged in what they’re doing… either a career or passion. Someone who loves to dance, probably. When I was first designing, I was in Oakland. Oakland has some of the most amazing women there… a lot of them are women of color and they are so powerful, confident, and supportive of one another and it’s just such an amazing community there. I was very inspired by that. The Solange-esque female that was reaching out to other women to put their shit out there. So, I think I was always thinking about those women while I was designing.

 

KR: That’s amazing. I do want to talk a little more about the sculpture-esque quality of your designs. T Magazine recently included you in a round-up of new jewelry brands creating “sculptures you can wear,” which I love. In researching for this feature…I came across several (designers) whose backgrounds are not in jewelry design, but sculpture, or in your case, architecture. I was wondering what you thought of the shift toward more architectural, sculpture-esque jewelry, and what that says about what people today consider art or, how they engage with art on a daily basis.

FG: I feel like I’ve always been an admirer of architecture and sculpture — it just seemed natural that my jewelry was like a piece of architecture. I remember I was helping this shoe designer in The Bay (area) and she always used to refer to her shoes as “little pieces of architecture.” And that’s how I’ve always looked at jewelry. I love jewelry that just seems a little more clever. [Jewelry that] has an interesting construction, a silhouette that just captures you, or a function that really [makes you think,] “Wow, how did they make that?” and that’s how I look at everything. I love that intrigue and the discovery of making that piece [that inspires me to] make something new every time. It seems that shift in trend has shifted in my favor, which is awesome.

My first necklaces that I made were these huge powerful necklaces, and every man that saw them related them to a superhero [and would say,] “Oh, that looks like Transformers”, because they were these big plates of metal that all were hinged…

 

KR: That’s so cool. I love that connection to your Captain Planet anecdote. Maybe it was more subconsciously influencing you than you even thought!

FG: Yeah! Everyone’s like a Superwoman, so put on your Superwoman stuff!

 

KR: Do you plan your clothes around your jewelry, or your jewelry around your clothes? What anchors your outfits?

FG: You know, it really depends on the day. I am an accessories girl through and through. I’ve got shoes for days. Often times, I think the activity probably [anchors] the most. Even last night, my best friend had a show and I thought to myself, “How am I going to get there? Will I ride my bike? Uber?” When I decided to ride my bike, I put on my Air Maxes, but then I thought, “I really want to wear my wide legged pants, and if I wear those, I can’t ride my bike…” The way I dress, personally, is always trying to create balance. I don’t think I will ever wear a super tight dress with super high heels and big earrings. If I’m wearing a super tight dress, I will wear sneakers.

 

KR: You’re more conscious of proportion.

FG: I’m also a petite person – I’m 4’11.

 

KR: Oh wow! I’ve only seen photos of your face.

FG: I’m a super petite person so that probably has a lot to do with my proportions. If I have leisurely days, which to be honest is not that frequent these days, I have my morning coffee and maybe go for a bike ride during the day, go to a movie. By the end of the night I will have four outfit changes because I have different energies that let me change it up. If I’m working a lot, then I’ll wear the same thing all week long. But if I had the leisure to change, I’d do it in a heartbeat. I love changing, I love dressing.

 

KR: I absolutely agree. I do The Riveter, of course, but my full-time job at the moment is as a personal stylist for Anthropologie. And my girlfriends will make fun of me because I have a pretty typical 8-5 schedule and they’ll ask me to go out for a drink after work, and I’ll say, “Okay, but I have to go home and change first”. And they say, “Kaylen, you’re coming from working as a stylist at Anthro, I’m sure your outfit is fine.” But that is my “I’m-a-stylist-working-for-a-company hat” and I have already been planning my carefree outfit for the night.

FG: Totally!

KR: It’s almost associative — if I’m not at Anthropologie, I could be working on The Riveter. So [for] my social life, it’s almost like shedding skins, or like I’m pressing the “reset button” and not being chained to a certain activity.

FG: I definitely feel that, for sure. If you have the moment [to change] it’s such an awesome thing to be able to do. Dressing up is fun! It’s always been my favorite. I mean, you’re a stylist, you get it. It has been my favorite pattime. With that being said, to bring it back to jewelry, I feel like jewelry transitions you if you don’t have the luxury to go home and change. With different accessories, you are able to change the mood. If you have to be serious in the morning and later you want to meet up with friends for drinks, you can just put in some hoops. Or if you’re going to an art show you can put a really interesting necklace on. It allows you to transition your day.

 

KR: I read in a style feature you did with Refinery29 a few years ago, that you had anticipated expanding the FARIS brand beyond jewelry design. Is that still the plan? What would your next dream media or outlet be?

FG: At the end of this month I’m opening a store.

 

KR: That’s awesome!

FG: Yeah! It’s going to be a fashion store in partnership with this womenswear brand called Silvae. (Seattle is) a beautiful city, but surprisingly we don’t have too much retail… so it’s exciting that we’re going to bring a lot of amazing, independent designers that we have become friends with over the past few years…I was reflecting the other day on how lucky I am to work in the industry that I do. The independent designer community is filled with mainly women who are all badass. They’re all incredibly hard workers, incredibly smart, talented, kind, and generous. It’s a great community to be a part of.

KR: That’s so cool.

FG: I’m excited to have a store where I can bring in some of my buds and also share a space with Deborah from Silvae and create an anchor for independent design in Seattle. And the name of the store we’ll be opening is Rizom. It’s a play off the word Rhizome, which are roots that shoot off of other roots. [When phrased] academically or conceptually, Rhizomes come together to create new ideas.

 

KR: That is just everything I love. I have also found local womenswear designers in Minneapolis who I really love and support. I love being able to talk about those designers with the customers and bring an independent [designer] into the mix of a huge conglomerate where everything can often feel the same… I love that, I am so excited for you.

FG: Thank you! I think it’s going to be really fantastic. There are some really great independent shops in Seattle, but I feel like we’re contributing more. There are a ton of designers, and all the ones that are carried in our store aren’t carried anywhere else in Seattle.

 

KR: Ok, my last question — What is on your bedside table right now?

FG: My bedside table right now has a ring dish, a lamp, and probably an empty glass for some water.

 

KR: So minimalist.

FG: I love everything in my apartment, and anything that I don’t love doesn’t exist in my world.

Kaylen Ralph is The Riveter’s cofounder, editorial development director and brand director. She works as a personal stylist for Anthropologie. Follow her on Instagram @kaylenralph for books, fashion and a lot of content blending those two subjects. You can also find her on Twitter at @kaylenralph.