Designer Susan Alexandra is fluent in emoji. She expertly paints a wickedly juicy watermelon slice, a cheery dangle of cherries and a red-hot pair of pouty lips, all in miniature. These delicious little cuffs, available at Local Eclectic, are #superclean and #superchic.
This jewelry is for chicks who like to have fun with fashion and aren’t afraid to infuse color and playfulness into their look. No wonder Susan Alexandra’s fan base includes celebs like Miley Cyrus, who’s been spotted with the Happy Hippie cuff on her wrist.
Each brass bracelet, made in Manhattan, is hand-painted in yummy colors and then sealed with clear enamel. “I think NYC has played a key role in my aesthetic,” Susan says. “Every day you are inundated with so many colors, sounds, noises, images…it all gets absorbed and poured into my work. I also happen to live next to an outrageously vibrant fruit stand which is endlessly inspiring.”
Most of the bracelets in the stack on the left are priced from $60 to $110. My personal fave is the funky golden cuff, an homage to the doodler in all of us. It’s a smile-inducing bracelet packed with happy icons: star, rainbow, cherries, eye, lips, heart, smiley and flower.
Susan says, “I am fascinated by personal style. Just as a novel, a poem or a painting reflects the artist, fashion shows us the artist within. Next, I plan to introduce textiles, skin care, fragrance, oils and home goods.”
The artist became inspired at the tender age of seven when she first eyed a copy of Vogue. “The cover was Shalom Harlow and Amber Valletta in Issac Mizrahi ballgowns…bright purple and pink cream puffs! I was completely enthralled. I wanted to be part of that magical world.” After landing her degree in fashion and marketing, Susan studied in the Second City under fashion doyenne Ikram Goldman. In New York, she worked at Jean Paul Gaultier, Interview magazine and Jill Platner.
“Don’t take yourself too seriously,” Susan says. “Have a sense of humor. Wear something that makes you smile.”