We are so grateful to have such wonderful shops carrying our jewelry. Bittersweet Designs was recently featured in a pop-up at the lovely Dovecote Style in Pittsboro, North Carolina. Daneen, Dovecote's supremely talented curator, so kindly wrote about her experience working with our brand for the past ten years.
| I recall the first time I met Laurie Lenfestey –founder/owner/designer/visionaire behind Bittersweet - and I remember returning from market and describing her as a “Nordic goddess” – statuesque in her hemp wedges with long blonde loosely plaited braids wearing a simple off-white embroidered Bohemian shift and a random mix of the most exquisite necklaces embellished with pale stones, charms and amulets….she was so glamorous in an almost otherworldly way….and the epitome of what I came to know and love as “Bittersweet style.” Dovecote was predominantly a home and garden shop at the time so I was not in the market for jewelry per se, but I left that show with visions of those layered necklaces in my head! By the following market, we had begun incorporating personal accessories into Dovecote’s mix, and I couldn’t wait to see if the Nordic goddess with those dreamy necklaces had returned! That was 2010, and we have been partnering with Laurie and Bittersweet ever since. |
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Laurie’s creative journey that eventually led to jewelry making actually started with photography and collage in her guesthouse in the early morning hours before her children went to school. “I still awake early,” says Laurie, “and that is my most creative time. When I first started Bittersweet, I was designing a paper line using vintage cabachons that I would find while combing through the old warehouses in my native Providence, Rhode Island. Ages ago, I fell in love with this milky blue vintage rosary with the most beautiful patina – and bought all 200+ pounds! I have a habit of buying what I love – and figuring it out later. Because my aesthetic is very consistent and organic, I find these impulse buys always work. For example, that impulsive purchase birthed the very first necklace I designed – a leggy 6 foot experiment that continues to be one of our best sellers.”
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While Laurie’s collection has certainly evolved over the years, I love that she has remained true to her aesthetic and signature “Bittersweet style” – so the first necklace I purchased in 2010 continues to layer beautifully with my most recent additions this season. Laurie likes to describe her necklaces as “team players” that “play well with one another.” I have seen Laurie with as many as ten pieces on at once and while this may sound a bit over the top, the look is to die for. The ingenious design of many of her styles allows them to be clasped in a myriad of ways adding to their versatility and styleability, so with five easy pieces you may have fifteen different looks. Really quite clever.
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When asked if she has a favorite in the collection, Laurie says the piece she wears daily is the “blessings necklace” – and I have to agree it is one of my favorites as well. “It is the ‘classic with a twist’ that I love,” says Laurie, “….an offshoot of an old-fashioned charm bracelet. This style is adorned with a smattering of charms and pendants from other cultures, a third eye to remind me of the power of intuition, a vintage Turkish coin, an ancient Ethiopian telsum, a reproduction of a vintage Roman coin, a Hamsa for good health, a pearl for wisdom.”’ Each one of these necklaces is a little different, so it is fun to see what speaks to you.
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Another of my personal favorites is called “Buddha charms” because of the ways it can be clasped – always one of my layers if I am mixing – but it also works as a stand alone piece. Oh, and the “flaneurs” are fabulous!!!! Be sure to ask us to show you how to style this one! For those of you who have become Bittersweet collectors over the years, Laurie has handpicked this collection for us which includes many of her brand new designs for this season! Pop by during this special three day event and explore with us! And if you can’t make it, here is one of our favorites.
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Trust me….if you have not yet discovered Bittersweet, I think this could be your next big crush!
And oh! by the way……an update on the Tulip shoes in my post last week…..if you missed out on your size or color, we have restocked!!!! And they are now posted on our e-commerce shopping site in case you cannot get in to see us! One of our customers wrote, “ They have taken me to Paris and Peru as well as Harris Teeter!” Love that.
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