Today we’d like to introduce you to Cindy Kaiser.
Cindy, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I grew up in Zimbabwe and lived there for 18 years. My parents were 100% Swiss, but decided to give up on Swiss cheese & chocolate in place for the African bush & wild animals…. I can’t really complain too much about that decision 😉 Growing up in Zimbabwe was an enriching and humbling experience which I’ll always cherish. I then moved to Cape Town for 4 years where I received my BA in Fine Arts specializing in Jewelry and Metal Design.
After college I left Africa and moved over to Los Angeles, where I studied at FIDM. I also apprenticed at Michael Schmidt Studios (in downtown LA) where I helped with the design and construction of A list celebrity “on stage” garments (Rhianna, The Black Eyed Peas and Kelly Rowland to name a few!) Being in LA and having the opportunity to collaborate and work closely with fascinating people from all walks of life was a real highlight for me! I spent 5 years in LA before moving over to DC for hot minute! After my little DC stint, I finally moved over to Chicago – where I now call home:)
Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I have a jewelry line called ‘la Kaiser’ which I started almost 5 years ago now. All the jewelry is simplistic in essence with a touch of contemporary and a pop of color. I highlight the use of gemstones throughout the collection and specifically draw upon rainbow moonstones, opals and diamonds as they resonate so vividly with me. I love how rainbow moonstones and opals both exhibit a multicolored iridescence, making them very ‘lively’ and unique stones.
I keep all the designs very simplistic and minimalistic as I want the wearer to be able to stack our rings, layer our pendants and basically wear our La Kaiser pieces on repeat. I also want our pieces to bring joy to our customers and have always aimed to do this through the use of colorful gemstones (opals/moonstones) as we all know how influential colors can be in directly helping to lift/alter our moods.
I draw upon my unique upbringing and travels between Africa, Europe and the USA for my design inspiration. I travel to Jaipur, India each year to source a lot of our natural gemstones (especially rainbow moonstone) and am continually inspired by this amazing world we are all so lucky to be a part of!!
What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
All of our designs are available directly on our website at www.lakaiser.com. We also have a gorgeous showroom and studio in downtown Chicago (in the Jewelers Mall building) where you can find the entire collection on display! Our showroom is open Monday – Friday 10am-5pm. The La Kaiser collection is also available in a number of boutiques across the country and of course, in a handful of local Chicago boutiques too!
Contact Info:
- Address: La Kaiser Showroom 5 South Wabash Ave #704B Chicago, IL 60603
- Website: https://www.lakaiser.com/
- Email: cindy@lakaiser.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lakaiserjewelry/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/La-Kaiser-119977324863682/?ref=br_rs
Image Credit:
@ Mark Hannah (all studio related images)
@ Cindy Kaiser (all jewelry product related images)
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