Made You Look Jewellery Robbery Fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge

When I first moved into Parkdale over a decade ago, there was a store on the north side of Queen West near Brock that was boarded up for renovations, with just a little peek hole cut into the plywood to allow a glimpse of what was going on inside. I was immediately hooked. Sarah Hamel, owner of Made You Look, was in the middle of restoring one of the big beautiful buildings that had been neglected for years in the perpetually "up and coming" neighbourhood. She had a great vision and has built an amazing and unique business - a jewellery boutique that's also a studio for more than 20 resident jewellers who create their piece on site. Over the years she's expanded the collection to include work from over 100 local Toronto designers, with a wide range of styles. The atmosphere is artistic, eclectic, fun, and friendly. It's exactly the sort of business I love - one that really celebrates creativity and helps make it possible for independent designers to make a living doing what they love and are so talented at.

So when I heard that someone had broken in and robbed Made You Look a couple of months ago, I literally felt sick to my stomach. Who on earth would target a business built on beauty and dreams, and the designers who work so hard there? Although a suspect was apprehended, the over $300,000 worth of handmade jewellery and raw materials that were stolen were not recovered. With the shock and anger I was feeling came a deep desire to "do something" to help out - and I wasn't the only one who responded this way. Made You Look has a devoted following both in the community and among lovers of unique jewellery, so when they organized a fundraiser at the Cadillac Lounge to help out the jewellers who'd been hit the worst, it was a well-attended evening. There was a great silent auction, as well as music from The Neil Young'uns. Sarah made a lovely speech, thanking everyone who had come together to show their love and support for Made You Look and the designers it represents.

For those of you who couldn't make it but would love to help (or if you did make it, but still want to help MORE..), Sarah has set up a fundraising campaign through indiegogo - even a $5 contribution helps and is much appreciated. So far they have raised over $5,000 towards their goal of $15,000 (the funds will go directly to designers who lost items not covered by insurance). Check it out, and donate if you can: http://www.indiegogo.com/MYLfundraiser

Here are some of the lovely items that were generously donated for the silent auction..

..and here's everyone having a great time :)

If you've never been to Made You Look, make a point of stopping in to see how special it is, and if you haven't already PLEASE HELP WITH A DONATION HERE!

Much love and best wishes for a speedy recovery to everyone at Made You Look :)

xo Jessica

Erin Tracy Designs - Custom Jewellery and Gorgeous Collections

I've been working with Erin Tracy for many years now, and I think her work is fantastic... what first attracted me to her booth at the One of a Kind show was her combination of silver and gold with natural materials such as delicate little pebbles and pieces of wood (I bought a necklace from her "Garden-Path" Collection almost 10 years ago and I still love it!). Over the years, I have seen many of Erin's other collections grow from inspirations as diverse as nature  (such as Reef and Fira), unique materials like concrete (in Pave), and a love of travel and other cultures (East, Luxe, Plume).


Erin also does a lot of custom work for clients, mostly engagement and wedding rings, where she sits down and gets to know the ideas and tastes of her clients and then designs something specific to their desires. Almost anything is possible from what I've seen :)


Here are a few of my favourite pieces from our most recent shoot..

Also, Erin has recently moved into a great new studio space in Liberty Village:

A cosy spot for meeting with clients..

technical tools..

and a nice, clean display area..

So - you can find Erin and her lovely work at the One of a Kind Show (starting tomorrow!) in booth G-07, or you can contact her directly to inquire about custom work or to schedule an appointment to see her at her studio. Check out her website for lots more of her work. Support local talent!

I've said it before, but I'll say it again - for more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see this page of my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)

Jenny Greco Jewellery Photo Shoot

As the Spring One of a Kind Show approaches here in Toronto, many of my clients have new lines or pieces that they want photographed. This was my first time working with Jenny Greco, so we shot almost her entire collection (!) of fantastic chunky and richly coloured jewellery. Jenny uses a lot of natural elements like wood and seeds in her work, which I love, and she was also a complete pleasure to work with, which I really love :)


Here are some of my favourite shots from our collaboration:

these black "stones" are actually lava!!

Jenny uses all different kinds of wood to make her chunky rings; this leopard-looking one was my favourite!

this bracelet from Jenny's "Totem" collection is made with ebony and silver - a really nice contrast :)

I can't wait to see Jenny's website once all the new images are up!

All of this and more will be available at Jenny's booth at the One of a Kind Show (you can find her at booth P-24), and she also has a lovely new studio space in the Distillery District, in the Case Goods  building - check her out and support local talent!

For more examples of work I've done with local designers, please see my website. If you are a designer of something beautiful and you are looking for a photographer - I'd love to talk to you! Email me for more information :)