Fab Find
Moonlighting with style: New second career {temple street} jewelry packs avintage punch
Ana Mae Holmes works in PR by day, but moonlights as a jewelry designer and creator. The Houstonian's handmade accessory line is called {temple street}, named after a street market in Hong Kong that Holmes visited with her husband on her honeymoon.
The line launched this fall, and the inaugural collection is beautiful: Neither too trendy nor too classic, composed of natural materials juxtaposed in an unusual, feminine-bordering-on-edgy way that makes {temple street} stand out.
"Whenever people shop my jewelry, I want to evoke the feeling of finding a treasure — similar to what you would feel when finding something special at a street market or vintage shop," Holmes tells CultureMap.
Two items in particular quickly made it onto my holiday wish list:
The Dalia Pendant Necklace ($65) is simple but stunning: A round hypersthene stone, set off by the curve of a gold tube bead and draped in gold-plated chain and hardware. The necklace makes an impression on its own, but could also be layered with other pieces.
Handcrafted from blue fire agate stones, cream-colored rope and lightweight metallic links, the Woven Cable Necklace ($150) is an statement piece, sure to dress up any old T-shirt or add an interesting element to an already-detailed outfit.
"I love to mix semi-precious stones like fire agate or quartz with other softer components like the woven rope or other fabrics," Holmes says. "I use an unexpected mix of elements to keep your eye moving across the design."
{temple street} pieces are currently on view at the Mary Nichols showroom in Rice Village (2503 Robinhood Street, Suite 130), alongside Nichols' bags. An online shop is scheduled to open at the beginning of the year; stay tuned to the {temple street}Facebook page for updates.