Today we’d like to introduce you to Pake Stephens.
Pake, please share your story with us. How did you get to where you are today?
You wouldn’t think it by looking at me, but I was raised on a horse ranch in the incredibly rural Matagorda County in southeast Texas. From those humble roots, I have traveled far and wide, being fortunate enough to graduate from Texas A&M University and to see a fair portion of this ever-shrinking Earth. It is from my travels that I gained a love for adornment; every culture has its own unique form. My works are largely constructed from rarefied and vintage materials that I collect from equally unusual origins. I amass odds and ends from antique shows, junk shops, estate sales, old warehouses, gem shows, foreign destinations, and from the natural world around us. With each creation, I attempt to give new life to antiquated styles and materials. I strive to create unique pieces which embolden and empower those who wear them, bits and baubles that are little pieces of armor imparting confidence and splendor. All of my works are one of a kind or a part of a limited series of 10 or less. I want the individuals who wear my jewelry to understand that each piece is special and unique, not cheapened by mass production. It is just me pulling it all together. Just PAKE.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Starting your own business has to be one of the scariest things. Everything is riding on your own abilities and it feels like any failures are magnified because you’re the only one to blame, at least when you’re operating a one-woman show. I have most likely structured my business all Wrong when you compare me to other jewelry designers and conventional business structures. I don’t create a design and then produce as many of that item as is humanly possible. I create one design with a few variations so that each piece is as unique as possible. I don’t have line sheets or have production of my jewelry done by any other hands than my own. This means that even something as small as my tags are cut out by my hands, embossed with gold embossing powder and then labeled with a handwritten description, all by me. I want people to see those tags and know that the item they are looking at is handcrafted. This ethos has made it very difficult to expand my business because it requires me to have a very hands-on approach with all of my vendors, most of which take my wares on consignment. Since I am a one-woman show, I don’t have budgets for things like advertising or hiring help, plus the concept of outsourcing production just to make an extra buck makes my soul ache. All of my growth has come from word of mouth, person to person sales at art shows and my connections with store owners. One of my largest obstacles has been gaining wholesale clients who purchase outright since I don’t have line sheets and I focus on unique pieces. I guess I’m a bit of a dreamer, raised under an antiquated ideology that if you simply work hard enough and long enough then good things will come your way.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pake – tell our readers more, for example, what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
I create jewelry from strange odds and ends mixed with semi-precious stones and brass chains. I primarily employ the use of cold connections in my constructions with a little bit of soldering here and there. I use gold filled wire and findings with the brass chains since they seem to have a longer lifespan, but the brass chains enable me to hit a consumer-friendly price point.
Giving new life to old, unusual and unexpected components has carved me out a fairly nice little niche. My grand love is creating couture pieces, but sadly that doesn’t really pay the bills so I have found a nice balance by creating smaller daintier looks with a few bold statement pieces thrown in to keep it interesting. I enjoy using natural elements such as stones and bones but my grand love is African Porcupine Quills. I have created many designs over the years with these pointy pieces as my medium. The thing that I feel sets my line apart from many of the other jewelry options out there is the fact that I create one of a kind and limited series works, not mass-produced pieces that can be ordered in bulk.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts or other resources that you’ve benefited from using?
Ooooof. This is a tough one for me. I am always in my studio since it’s located in my house, I probably work more than is healthy because I genuinely enjoy making jewelry. I mean when I’m out attempting to be social or live what one may call a “normal life”, I’m just thinking about what I am going to work on when I get home. I listen to a lot of music while I’m creating or I have a movie or banal program on in the background but nothing at all specific. I lament that as I’ve gotten older I have found it harder and harder to carve out the time to read much anymore, I’m lucky if I find the time for two books a year. If I had to suggest just one book to read, it would be Vali Myers: A Memoir by Gianni Menechetti. Her life story and art have provided me with endless inspirations.
Pricing:
- $26-$138 retail jewelry
- $162-$348 couture or art jewelry
Contact Info:
- Website: www.justpake.com
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @justpake
- Facebook: www.justpake.com
Image Credit:
Portrait done by photographer Dave Creaney
http://www.davecreaney.com/
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