Q & A WITH GORJANA

Founder | Gorjana Reidel

Hillary: When we first learned about your brand we became weak at the knees by the love story behind the line.  Take us back to the beginning – how did the Gorjana collection come about?

Gorjana: My husband and I always talked about doing something together and we really sort of fell into this.  I was making jewelry and we decided to give it a shot and try to make it a real business and luckily it worked.  We are coming up on our 10 year anniversary in the fall and it has been an amazing ride so far.

Hillary: It is true that Gorjana is considered the authority on layering and we are obsessed with the #lawsoflayering concept.  As avid accessory enthusiasts, can you elaborate on the 5 laws for us?

Choose a Hero -

Pick a statement piece or focal piece and add pieces that compliment it.  Its important to have one main focus and delicately add layers that go with that piece.

Dare to Mix -

Don’t be afraid to mix your metals, I wear silver, rose gold and gold all at the same time.  Also I love mixing high and low pieces, maybe wearing that delicate diamond piece with a more fun statement piece

Multitask -

This one is a cheat, find pieces that can be worn different ways or that are already pre layered, let them do the work for you.

Stack up or Stack Out -

When layering rings and bracelets either stack up and layer on one wrist or a couple of fingers or spread the pieces out more evenly on both wrists or multiple fingers.  This way you don’t look overdone and over accessorized.

Pick a Theme -

Be mindful of the feel of the pieces, if you have more bohemian pieces try to wear them together and leave the more modern clean looking pieces for a different look.  That way the feel of your jewelry does not send a mixed message.  

Hillary: The collaborative collection with Courtney Kerr is the definition of everyday wear ability – What are a few of your favorite pieces from this collection? 

Gorjana: I love the Horn collection.  It is such a simple aesthetic but has an edge to it.   The pieces are so versatile and can be worn with daily.  I also love The Uptown hand chain, it looks amazing on your hand and is the perfect summer accessory.

Hillary: What was it like working with Courtney? Was she very involved in the design process? 

Gorjana: I had a lot of fun working with Courtney.  The designs all came form her ideas and she was really involved in the process.  She is so full of life it made it so easy to work with her.  We became good friends through the process which is also a bonus, it makes it that much more rewarding. 

Hillary: Aside from our Vampire Diaries obsession we can’t get enough of Nina Dobrev – when we learned about your collection with her in support of the Epidermolysis Bullosa Medical Research Foundation (EBMRF) we were truly inspired.  How did this collection come to fruition? How much of the proceeds go to support the cause and efforts of the EBMRF?

Gorjana: Both Nina and I have been supporters of EBMRF for a few years now. So it was natural fit to collaborate and help raise awareness.  Nina picked her favorite pieces and because she is a huge fan of rose gold so we did some rose gold exclusives for the collection.  Anywhere form 50 -100% of proceeds depending on the piece go to EBMRF.

Hillary: You have a handful of heavy hitting Best Sellers.  Will you name a few of your favorites? 

Gorjana: A few of my favorites are the Taner Bar necklace, the Chloe Studs and the G Ring Stackable rings.  All 3 of these are great everyday pieces and have a wonderful clean look to them.