By Mayka Mei
They knew they were a cut above the rest when True gave them the stamp of approval.
Never in a million years would I have expected to hear a thriving jewelry label tell me that their first big order came via MySpace. LinkedIn? Sure. Facebook? Maybe. MySpace? What? But hey, if it gets you there, it gets you there, and one little MySpace ping got multiple pieces of Abigail Rivamonte’s and Debbie Sheen’s MADE Jewelry into True.
Rivamonte went into endearing giggly giddy mode when she told of how she and Sheen tried to keep their cool in front of the buyer. They did their best to remain composed as they walked outside of True. And then, carefully positioned down at the street corner, they checked around and proceeded to jump in excitement.
For girls who come from a lifetime of loving hip-hop, streetwear, and fashion, landing True was a dream come – I didn’t even realize I was walking head-on into this cliché – true.
The two So Cal natives came up to the Bay a couple of years ago to attend law school. Somewhere in between the briefs, the notes, the readings, and the tests, Rivamonte and Sheen learned that they each shared a hobby in jewelry making. They kicked off MADE when they were both 3Ls, and tonight the label celebrates its one year anniversary with a party featuring music and swag bags.
Virtually inspiring
MADE’s latest collection, Laced, proves to be its most sophisticated. With lots of layers and lots of chains, Rivamonte and Sheen have successfully avoided going too far down the tragically trendy road. The pieces you’ll see in MADE’s Laced lookbook twist an urban vibe with classic materials. Unlike much of what’s displayed at corporate retailers these days, MADE’s designs will have more staying power than Juicy Couture-level overloads of gaudiness.
Everything is crafted by hand, so the maximum that the women have made of any one accessory is 75 pieces at the most. The limited runs make spotting a MADE Jewelry piece in the wild that much more exciting. Rivamonte will even go out of her way to tell a fellow clubgoer that she made what she’s wearing. “Some ladies get kinda taken aback,” she says, but they probably just don’t realize how exclusive their tastes are.
The inspiration for MADE’s designs often comes from fashion bloggers (Again with the social media.), who Rivamonte sees as “the new magazines.”