One of our most popular lines at the M.Flynn store this summer has been our collection of colorful, hand-beaded bracelets by designer Julie Rofman. Julie is a painter and sculptor turned jewelry designer, originally from Newton, MA. Each bracelet is made of Japanese glass beads in bright colors and arranged in the native patterns of cities around the world. This week we were lucky enough to get to ask Julie a few questions about her inspirations and about the future of her line. Check out what she had to say below, and check back soon to see our stock of Julie’s bracelets available on the new M. Flynn website.
How long have you been making jewelry?
“I have been making jewelry since I was a kid at Cape Cod Sea Camp and just like you and your sister, I also created numerous bracelets out of embroidery string. I remember stringing bracelets from the metal rods of my headboard and working on them before I went to bed.”
When Moria and I saw your bracelets, we instantly thought about our summers making friendship pins and weaving bracelets out of embroidery string. We thought your bracelets felt like the sophisticated version of this ’80s trend. What inspired you to start making these bracelets?
“I started the handwoven beaded bracelets as a hobby, making pieces for friends and family. I started to use more uniform and intricate glass beads that came in brilliant colorways, this opened up my palette to more fine tuned design work. After much trial and error I created a clasp design that would fit pretty much any wrist size.”
The bracelets seemed to be named for very fun and even exotic places. Are you a big traveler? What’s on your wish list of places to visit?
“Yes! I love to travel. I think I have been to 23 countries. I pull the names for my bracelets from places I’ve seen or would like to visit. I would love to see the Galapagos islands.”
What’s next for the line?
“Next for the line is a series of necklaces that can also be worn as wrap bracelets. I also just finished a collaboration of clutches with my friend Tracey Tanner.”
