Here comes the Bridal!

The Grayling Bridal Collection photo shoot took place
at the Ace Hotel: Portland, in January 2012.

Phototgraphy: Lisa Warninger
Gowns: Elizabeth Dye
Veil: Brady Lange
Makeup and Hair: Kelly Peach
Styling: Shannon Zweck / Katy Kippen for grayling

Our first ever Bridal Collection is available online at http://shop.graylingjewelry.com

introducing our fall/winter jewelry collection

Our Fall/Winter collection channels the radiance of the Northern Lights. Every style draws its name from a phenomenon, characteristic, or activity related to astronomy or space. The Cassini spacecraft lends its name to a bracelet, a comet’s Tail Arc to a pair of earrings, the observations of Pytheas to a necklace. 

The aurora borealis, or “Northern Lights”, are named after the Roman goddess of dawn. The aurora is long thought to be produced by sunlight reflected from polar snow and ice, and refracted light much like rainbows. The Northern Lights are their most dazzling from December to March when nights are longest and the sky darkest.  

Shop our limited-edition northern lights collection online or view more looks from the fall/winter collection here.

 grayling diffusion necklace in copper crystal $219
grayling radius trio earrings in gold and copper crystal $39

grayling magnetism necklace with genuine black agate $315
grayling solar wind earrings in black marquise crystal $79

grayling mirror points necklace in smoky $130
grayling mirror points bracelet in smoky $105
grayling spectrum cuff in chrome $195
grayling cassini bracelet in chrome $145
grayling sterlet earrings in smoky $49
headpiece - available by special order

grayling northern lights necklace
in black marquise crystal $205
grayling equinox chandelier earrings in black crystal $165

grayling luminary earrings in purple haze crystal $129
grayling northern lights necklace
in purple haze marquise crystal $205
grayling versatility necklace/bracelet in silver $159
grayling falcon bracelet in gunmetal $89
grayling mirror points bracelet in purple haze crystal $105

grayling reversible pytheas necklace
in smoky crystal and gunmetal $295

grayling terella earrings in plum crystal $138
grayling terella necklace in plum crystal $138
grayling spectrum cuff in plum crystal $195
grayling cassini bracelet in plum crystal $145

c r e d i t s:

photography: lisa warninger

styling: kami gray + eden dawn

hair and makeup: claudine ebel

location: ace hotel, portland

jewelry: all g r a y l i n g.

natasha spotted in grayling!

What a nice surprise. A beautiful Grammy-nominated singer (who co-writes and co-produces her own music) was shot wearing one of my necklaces on the red carpet (or in this case, on the patterned carpet in NYC).

I have immense respect for Natasha Bedingfield and I was absolutely THRILLED to see her in a grayling Caviar necklace.

The Caviar necklace is one of the first pieces I designed for my jewelry line, grayling.

When I launched in 2009 I had no idea one necklace would cause such a frenzy of sorts (the Caviar has been the "top viewed" item in my online store for the past six months and several grayling stockists report the necklace doesn't last but a few hours in a case before it's out the door).

The funny thing is, the necklace has pretty humble beginnings. I remember when I designed it. I was on my couch at home, with a pile of materials. I'd just dropped a sizable sum of money at a gem show, and I was excitedly playing around with metal combinations.

With my trusty kitty at my side (always - she is soooo curious), I started stringing crystals and wrapping them with chains of all sorts. Halfway through, I looked at what I'd done, and thought it looked awful. Then I started weaving a chunk of agate into the necklace. By the end of the day, I'd wound and cut and re-strung the piece countless times. And it had really turned into something!

When I finally added the clasp (the finishing touch!) I had in front of me one part sculpture and one part necklace. And the name Caviar described it well.

Interesting, pretty, unexpected - but ultimately versatile and infinitely wearable... sounds like my kind of jewelry line.

Please note:

The Caviar is officially registered with the United States Copyright Office,

and impostors will be sought out and given no mercy. And I mean none.

2009-2010

photo credit - LIFE

showroom announcement

When I started my business in 2009, I determined there were three main components that would form the backbone of my business, g r a y l i n g.

The first, and by all means most important component, is maintaining wholesale accounts. The second is having an online store.

The third component is a studio and showroom, and I am excited to announce the grand opening!

grand opening

Saturday, September 11, 2010 from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Mimosas and fruit cocktails all day.

The first ten customers receive Falcon earrings as our gift.

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Initial plans to open in August were thwarted (in a good way) by production demands of wholesale orders from Pool Tradeshow.

In between orders and naps, progress was made in the new space bit by bit. Now, the dust has settled and all the renovations are complete.

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The area surrounding our building is home to yummy eateries Produce Row Cafe, Clark Lewis and designer Adam Arnold.

Quite literally across the hall from our studio sits Olympic Provisions and Mr. French's Coffee plus a little wine bar called Red Slate (needless to say, we've had no problem finding food & booze).

We suggest taking a Friday or Saturday afternoon to explore the area.

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The g r a y l i n g studio and showroom is located at 107 SE Washington Street in Portland, Oregon. (Wanna see it on a map? Click here.) Look for the tall mustard-colored building just south of Burnside.

The showroom is open every Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and by appointment.

Your custom work and/or bridal jewelry inquiries are welcomed.

Please call 503.548.4979 or email graylingjewelry@gmail.com for more information.

online store

company website

grayling on twitter

grayling on facebook

one year later

Here's the inside of my new space at the Olympic Mills Building. I feel spoiled rotten to be in the same building as Olympic Provisions, Citrus, Parliament Design, and other high-falutin' businesses.

Of course, this means I'll be moving out of my Multnomah Village studio, which I've shared with local jewelry legend and dear friend John Rink for the past year. I'll miss the days filled with a rare mix of tasteless jokes and sparkling diamonds.

I supposed it was time to leave my little jewelry incubator to move into a larger space. Seven new stores picked up my jewelry line in the past month or so, and I needed more room.

Of course, I'm no stranger to change. Today marks the one-year anniversary of my departure from my former job. Many of you knew me in my previous profession in the retail clothing world, before I was "reincarnated" back to a jewelry designer (I use the phrase back to because jewelry is what originally led to my 7-year stint at the boutique).

Do I miss it? Yes, sometimes I do. But, a lot of times I don't. Life moves you through stages, and I believe you have to see what's in front of you with new eyes sometimes.

One year ago, I was really confused about what the future held, but at the same time, I knew what I had been doing wasn't right for me anymore. Fortunately, I was able to take all the things (good and bad) I learned with me.

I couldn't be more fortunate than I am today. In 12 months time, I started a viable business, got back to my roots as a designer, and I hope to hire my first employee later this year. I'm headed to a trade show in a few weeks, where, for the first time, I will be the rep, no longer there as a buyer.

Wish me luck,

Katy

a few of my new earring designs

g r a y l i n g: long caviar earrings

g r a y l i n g: falcon earrings

g r a y l i n g: moon earrings

tranquility earrings

VIEW MORE EARRINGS HERE

[ pssst... free shipping in the u.s. ]

{all images copyright grayling jewelry 2010}

custom work: amethyst project

A small collection of crystallized amethysts stopped me in my tracks at a show earlier this year.

These weren't just common everyday amethysts. They hailed from the interior of a cave in Uruguay. As if that weren't enough, they were from the interiors of stalactites (squeal!!).

I couldn't resist their otherworldly charm, and I purchased a few.

Moments later I called up my friend S., who loves amethysts more than life itself. She asked if I would make her a few special pieces from the stones. Of course, I said yes.

oxidized silver necklace with crystallized amethyst

crystallized amethyst cocktail ring

necklace with hand-wrapped crystals,
raw quartz, and adjustable chains

on the job: davora of prairie underground

Davora Lindner and Camilla Eckersley are some of the smartest and most successful women I know in the industry. Success is measured in many ways, but it all adds up for the designers of Seattle-based Prairie Underground.

Read on for my interview with Davora...

Piles of cords for Prairie Underground's signature hoodies

KK: How did you and Camilla meet and why did you start a line together? Why the name "Prairie Underground"?

DL: Camilla and I met when we were kids at a park in Nebraska, but we didn't become friends until High School. We were a part of a group of like-minded teens in the mid west who were interested in independent music, art, politics and avant-garde fashion.

We started the line because Camilla was relocating from San Francisco and she needed a job! She approached me about moving to Seattle and doing a collection with her.

Naming the line was impossible - seriously we had pages of lists. I practiced writing different names with a calligraphy pen in a journal and Camilla came with piles of books that were important to her and of course every possible combination of our personal names was explored.

We ended up with Prairie Underground because the line was an extension of a friendship and community in the midwest. there are so many memories that we share and our cultural references intersect in really easy ways, there is a very healthy dose of our past in everything we do that is filtered through the present.

Your Orbit shown with Tuxedo Legging - Prairie Underground

KK: You are the designers of the somewhat iconic Prairie Hoodie and the Cloak Hoodie. I know women who own four or five! What was the original concept?

DL: The Prairie Hoodie was always a sort of robe or duster jacket. It was a garment that Camilla wanted personally, and it was our response to all of the hoodies we saw on a trip to LA. The first production ended up fitting rather small, so stores perceived them as dresses. It was designed to fit the body whereas traditional hoodies have a boxy volume.

The Cloak Hoodie evolved out of hood Camilla was working on for a vest. The vest was never finished but the hood inspired a series of drawings that looked like Angel caricatures and with this hyper feminine triangular skirt and puffed shoulders. It's a Victorian silhouette that both Camilla and I are drawn to that also shows up in the forties and the eighties and continues to inspire us.

Triple Layer Hoodie - Prairie Underground

KK: Can you describe your design process? What pieces are you excited about?

DL: We aren't thematic designers and we don't work from mood boards. We like them, it just isn't our method. Our design process is more of a dialogue. Sometimes themes emerge but this is always after the fact. We're more inspired by previous collections and we build on styles we have offered previously. We haven't ever consciously reinvented the collection for a new season though it has appeared that way at times. Some of our favorite styles from upcoming collections are the Kite Top, Triple Layer Hoodie and Your Orbit.

Phillip Guston

KK: As the line has grown, I've noticed an emphasis on organic and natural fabrics in the line. Can you tell me about that?

DL: We have always worked with sustainable textiles or textiles that are produced in a way that does less harm to the environment. When we first started selling the line no one cared about organic or sustainable fabrications, but they responded to our collection. At the beginning we made the decision to establish a business that was in sync with our personal beliefs.

In the last couple of years clothing made in this way has become more mainstream and as a result we are able to offer more styles in sustainable fabrications. The majority of line is organic cotton. We continue to work with a variety of hemp blends as well as recycled poly, but we also produce a few styles made with conventional cotton lycra. We have always wanted the line to be financially accessible for a contemporary collection, and this has meant offering some conventional styles.

Laura Ingalls Wilder

KK: Prairie Underground appeals to a wide range of sizes and ages. Is this intentional?

DL: We've never intentionally limited our customer to a particular age or size, it always been more about a shared lifestyle or point of view. Beginning with Spring 2010 the entire collection will be available in XL which is something we're excited about.


KK: What kind of music do you listen to? Who are your favorite artists?

DL: Recently we have been listening to Jesse Sykes and the Sweet Hereafter, Bill Callahan, Devendra Banhart, The XX, Jack Penate... We're big 90.3 KEXP fans. Our favorite artists include Phillip Guston, Alice Neel and Samuel Delaney.

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P R A I R I E U N D E R G R O U N D

is available at these and other fine boutiques:

Pin Me Apparel Portland, Oregon - 503.281.1572

Parts + Labour Hood River, Oregon - 541.387.2787
http://www.tobi.com/

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