Meet Colby June

I am thrilled to share an insightful interview with you from inspiring jewelry designer, Colby June! I hope to feature more jewelry designers that will give you, the readers, an inside look into established jewelry design processes and successful brands. Colby June is the perfect designer to kick off this series. Her thoughtful answers and advice to young designers are below.  

1) What inspired you to start designing jewelry and how did you get the Colby June line off the ground?

I first took a jewelry class in San Miguel de Allende Mexico between high school and college.  I loved working with metal!  Hours could go by and I would just be lost in my work without realizing the time. After living in Mexico, I went to college at Lewis and Clark in Portland, Oregon. I first got a degree in Hispanic Studies and later a Maters in Counseling Psychology. I worked as a teacher and then a counselor for a few years but eventually I really wanted to return to jewelry.  I just needed the courage to get into it as a profession. I worked for a few years doing both jewelry and counseling. When I had my daughter, Perry, something had to go and I quit my part-time counselor job.  By that time, I had begun to develop a distinctive style. I was able to sell my work at the Saturday Market in Aspen in the summers which really kept my business afloat. At the beginning of 2011, I decided to get more serious about wholesale outside Colorado.  It was extremely lucky that Anthropologie picked up a ring set. They have since sold out but I think that in combination with all the wonderful bloggers out there have really help my Etsy site grow! 

2) Where do you draw your inspiration from? 

Living in Mexico,  I was mostly inspired by the gem stones and just used basic geometric shapes and forms.  Later when I was back in Colorado, I was so amazed at all the native grasses and the shapes and textures of the grasses I saw hiking in the fall.  That was the first real inspiration that set my path. Now I continue to be inspired by textures and details of nature in both Colorado and Oregon, where I try to spend as much time as possible.   
  

3) How would you describe the woman who wears Colby June? And who would your dream client be?

I see all different women wear my jewelry. It seems to appeal to women of all ages and from many different places. My work is definitely subtle and understated. I can't say I have a dream client.  I appreciate anyone who is interested in my work and can see the value in its simplicity and nature elements.  

4) Are you formally trained, self-taught, or some combination of the two? 

I first learned from a metals teacher, Billy King, in San Miguel de Allede, Mexico.  I later took a few classes at Northwest College of Arts and Crafts in Portland while I was attending college at Lewis and Clark. Since then,  I have done a lot of self teaching. I basically have ideas of pieces and then figure out the best way to make them through books, talking to other jewelers and a lot of trial and error. Recently I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee where I had the chance to take a really amazing intensive stone setting class from Blain Lewis, a renowned jeweler and teacher.  I plan to take a lot more of this type of workshop! 

5) What is your typical day like?

My days at the studio are always different. I usually start by checking and responding to emails. Then I make a list of orders I plan to finish that day.  I have two part-time employees, one who helps me with making jewelry and the other one helps with shipping, communicating with customers, and social media. On the days they are working, I have to make sure they are lined out and have plenty to do. There are always a million things to do but it takes a lot of organizing to figure out the best use of everyone's time. Many days are just frantic trying to get orders out.  I really love the days we are actually caught up and I can spend time organizing the studio and doing the books and inventory.  I am usually really behind on inventory and bookkeeping! I also have to make time to create new lines. Creating new pieces is definitely my favorite part of the business but it happens a lot less frequently than one would think. Right now I am working on my next line that I hope to have ready by July. I am also the mother of a two year old, my daughter Perry, so I try to spend as much time with her as possible. Many of my days end early so I can pick her up and be a mom. I often return to my studio after she is in bed or once my husband gets home from work and just finish up whatever needs to be done.    

6) What advice would you give a young aspiring designer or someone toying with the idea of starting to make jewelry?

I would tell an aspiring designer to put their work out into the world. Etsy is such a great platform to test designs and ideas. You can get a feel for whats selling and go with it. I would also suggest that once you have had some time to establish your style and create something that really represents your unique creative spirit to brand yourself. Having a consistent brand that people recognize and that your customers can identify with is really important for establishing a lasting customer base. Also customer service seems to go a long way! I always operate on the idea that I want every customer to be a return customer.  Most importantly, if you have it in you, I would say take a risk and see what you can do knowing it can take a lot of time. 

Thanks, Colby June!