Pamela Love

Famous for her infused bits of rock ’n’ roll jewelry that features animals, skulls and religious iconography, Pamela Love is the Brooklyn native that has become the go-to jeweler for women seeking unconventional adornment.

Although the NYU film school grad originally started her career as an assistant to artist Francesco Clemente in 2006, her personal style and artistic streak quickly led to her calling in jewelry design.

“I have always been creative. When I was styling a few years ago, it was really difficult to find pieces that fit with what I was doing, so I just started making my own,” Love said in an interview with Meets Obsession. “Now, here I am.”

Soon her pieces were featured in fashion magazines like Vogue, Elle and Harper’s Bazaar and sold by luxury stores like Barneys New York and Opening Ceremony.

Fashion aficionados and jewelry geeks were in love with Love’s dark, romantic signature aesthetic.

When we first ran this story, her macabre designs had just garnered her a nomination for the prestigious Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) Swarovski Award for accessory design.

Love’s Spring/Summer 2011 collection included bold pieces like stake rings, skull necklaces and spiky cuffs.

Continuing her otherworldly style, her Fall/Winter 2011 collection had a tribal mystique, with the majority of her cuffs and rings featuring protruding spikes, and the necklaces emulating chest plates.

“I like the idea of mysticism and [I] am really inspired by Native American culture, which features a lot of animals and spirituality, so I think that’s why it comes out in my designs,” Love explained. “I recently went on a road trip to New Mexico with my friend, Skye, and we visited these amazing caves that were tough and pretty at the same time. That’s how I came to this collection.”

The rural charm of New Mexico is seen throughout her collection that includes gold pieces, such as bracelets fashioned out of a pentagram and simple, rustic cross necklaces.

Music also has played a huge part in Love’s collections. “I’m always listening to music when designing new collections,” Love said, “Neil Young and Royal Trux are always on my iPod.”

Love herself is a drummer in an all-girl band named Scorpio Rising. The psychedelic garage rock trio is comprised of two of Love’s closest friends, Jane Herships and Elizabeth Inez Loza.

The bold and visionary style of Love’s beautifully crafted pieces has made her a fixture among up-and-coming style icons like actress Rachel Bilson, British TV presenter Alexa Chung, and Julia Restoin-Roitfeld (daughter of former French Vogue editor Carine Roitfeld).

Love also has collaborated with high-end designers to create new collections. In 2009, Love designed a series of ornate gold and silver pieces for Zac Posen’s Fall/Winter collection that were richly infused with punk and Victorian influences. “I always love working with other designers and companies. It’s such a new and fun process. I really did love the collaboration that I did with Zac Posen for his show,” Love said.

The accessories designer has also worked with trendy and affordable stores like Topshop to help get her pieces to the masses.

In spite of Love’s marked tough girl image, she was, when we spoke, obsessed with florals, a striking deviation from her trademark macabre charms.

Though her jewelry strays far from the traditional, her advice for women in purchasing accessories is surprisingly practical. “Buy jewelry that you will wear forever and can pass down,” Love said.

“Buy jewelry that you will wear forever and can pass down.”

Sage advice from a jewelry designer who loves the dark side.

From the MO print archive: this story first ran in The Premiere Issue of Meets Obsession Magazine. The collections, collaborations and award nomination are as they stood when we spoke with Pamela Love.

• Words: Yohana Desta
• Portrait: Amy Troust
• Jewelry photo: Adrian Gaut