Designer Focus: Stephanie Kheder Bodine

Take one part designer with a keenness for all things cool, one part creative genius, and two parts all around wonderful person.  Mix gently and voila… meet Stephanie Kheder Bodine. Stephanie was born and raised in Michigan.  During her childhood, she learned technical drawing from a botanical artist and designed a little of everything from a plethora of fabric stashed around her home. It’s pretty clear that she was never at a loss for conceptualizing ideas, even at a young age.  Steph’s vast imagination catapulted her into her career.  She began by studying fine arts in Dallas and then completing her Communication Design and Interior Decorating degrees at Parsons in NYC.  Years later, this sort of creative energy landed her press in top fashion magazines (Nylon, Lucky…) and feature guest spots on E!, Style Network, and The Martha Stewart Show.

Kheder Bodine lives in Santa Barbara, California where she runs her materials and design company called Bocage.  And, lucky for us, she also designs charms for Waxing Poetic, as well as the art that influenced the interior of the Waxing Poetic boutique flagship store. Below is a Q&A fest for your reading pleasure…

* How would you define your own design aesthetic and overall style?
I usually describe my own style as very traditional with an edgy twist. And dark. My aesthetic references antiques, engravings, patterns, animals and woodland, as well as materials and metal.

* What was the first thing you ever designed?
Oh my goodness, I can’t remember back that far. I definitely designed clothes for myself and dolls (barbie, cabbage patch, and paper dolls). The first thing I can recall designing are shoes with soles cut from foam packaging that came with delivery to our house. I used kitchen string to stitch fabric around the foot and create laces and then walked around in them. My mom probably still has them. Another time, I made a skirt and fingerless gloves in the style of Madonna.  However, they ended up not being wearable since I had stapled them, instead of sewing them together. Clearly, there was access to fabric in my household.

* Describe the general process you go through to design and realize a piece.
When designing a piece for Waxing Poetic, the process begins with Patti. Everything originates through her creativity, where she envisions the line in the future, and the ideas that she’s most excited about. We get together to ‘pow wow’ on concepts – this includes dialogs on art and design and how to translate what we love into finished jewelry. I then interpret our ideas into visually designed images including specifications with dimensions and details for what the final carved piece should look like.

* Where do you find your inspiration? What do you love?
I find my inspiration mostly in antiques and also contemporary fashion trends. I love charms, chain, and costume jewelry, brown and black transferware, wallpaper and ephemera, accessories, materials, abundant layers, ornamentation, and heavy decor.

* What are some of your accomplishments as a designer?
Designing for Waxing Poetic is one of my favorite accomplishments, since it has always been a dream of mine to design charms. In addition, Patti has created such an amazing company that people always recognize and share how much they love the jewelry and that feels damn good. I am also extremely proud and grateful for my company, Bocage.  This along with my many collaborations, including interiors, boots, books, and television, have brought me great success and have helped lead me to where I am today.

* Who are some of your favorite designers/artists?
One of my classic favorite designer personalities has always been Betsey Johnson. I have many others as well:  John Derian, Damien Hirst, Tony Duquette, Miriam Haskell, Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney, Prince…

* What's your favorite part about conceptualizing a design? What do you believe makes a quality completed design?
My favorite part about conceptualizing a design is seeing the finished product.  It always feels ‘real’ when you have a physical piece that started as just a spark in the brain. I believe that pushing a concept beyond what’s comfortable and taking extra patience to address each detail makes for quality. I have always believed that layers bring depth. * Walk us through a typical day in the life of Stephanie Kheder Bodine.
Uh oh, well most of that is private! But a typical day in the life of Stephanie Kheder Bodine includes multiple concepts in execution and lots of dialogue around everything in the works. There is lots of hunting, gathering, scanning, and scheming.  I try to get a ride on my slik chik [vintage bicycle] too if possible and get out of the design den at least 1-3 times daily, otherwise things can get out of hand. I don’t live by conventional hours.  I am kind of a workaholic who is always going and never has enough hours in the day!

* Was there a defining moment when you knew you were going to succeed as an artist?
I’ll just say that there are times when you have nothing but yourself and it’s validating to realize how resourceful it is being an artist with nothing to loose, but knowing anything can be made.

* You’re in a funk. What drags you out of it?
Creative friends and good company with really good taste. Making some sort of physical change to stir the pot and seeking out inspiration to motivate and spark my creativity.

* Give us a sneak peek into what to look for in trends in the months ahead.  Are there any favorites that stand out?
Upcoming trends, in my opinion, are earthy and tribal themes. There is a strong emphasis on tiny patterns and textures upon contrasting patterns. These patterns and textures are rich but geometric, natural bohemian, but not in a hippie way -- something more primitive and earthy.

A big thank you to Steph for being interviewed here on Proof!  To learn more about Stephanie Kheder Bodine and her company Bocage, visit her on facebook, twitter.

Heritage House Gifts

Waxing Poetic's modern heirloom jewelry and gifts are available at many fine retail stores both stateside and abroad.  As a token of our gratitude to our retailers and because we think you’ll love them as much as we do, we will be featuring one retailer each month here on Proof.  We’re delighted to introduce Heritage House Gifts from Gulfport, Mississippi.

We are very pleased to have Heritage House Gifts join us today.  We love their products, enthusiasm, and overall southern charm!

What are your favorite collections? Who could pick just one??  We love it all!  What we love the most about Waxing Poetic is that we get to help each customer make a necklace that is truly ‘‘her own story!’’

What are your favorite pieces? If we had to pick just one - we love the square insignia charm.  It is fabulous on its own or as an anchor to other charms on a necklace.  Let’s not forget to mention the fabulous square insignia ring!

What are your customers’ favorite collections? For initials, our customers love the square insignia charms and the round insignia charms.  A steady fav is any of the charms with the fleur de lis symbol.  This icon is near to our hearts to celebrate our region, Mardi Gras and the Saints!!  Geaux Saints!!

What are your customers’ favorite pieces? The Wing & Prayer Fleur de Lis charm.

What do you like most about the Waxing Poetic Line? Heritage House keeps a wish list for each customer and records all Waxing Poetic purchases – including gifts!   When it is time for a special occasion – birthday, Mother’s Day or Christmas – family or friends can easily add to an already started necklace!

Do you have any fun customer stories that you would like to share? Well – we are not going to shop and tell!!  Let’s just say that some of the best tales come to us around the holidays when we are in the ELF mode helping some of our favorite men shop for some of our favorite ladies!  Here it is, almost Holiday 2010, and we are gearing up for some fun!!

Thanks again for sharing with us some fun facts about your customers.  As always, we love to hear about your Waxing Poetic favorites!


Please be sure to check out Heritage House Gifts at 446 Courthouse Rd, Gulfport, MS, give them a call at 228- 897-7644, or visit them on Facebook.

Spread Good Fortune Necklace Giveaway

Ever cracked open a fortune cookie to discover some words of wisdom or an inspirational quote that somehow seemed to be written just for you at that moment? We absolutely love when customers share their personal stories with us, particularly stories filled with good fortune, encouragement and motivation! We have a hunch that you too will also enjoy these stories of inspiration.  So to spread good fortune within our Waxing Poetic family, we’re asking you to tell us about your favorite fortune and one lucky Waxing Poetic wearer will win the Little Dumpling Necklace pictured above!

Here’s how it works:
1.  Visit our Facebook page and click "Like"
2.  Post your favorite fortune to our Facebook Wall. Tell us why you chose this particular fortune as your favorite and how it is meaningful to you.
3.  From the favorite fortunes posted, we’ll randomly select a winner who will receive the Little Dumpling Necklace pictured above (Little Dumpling Necklace).
4.  To be entered to win post your favorite fortune by noon on Thursday, September 30th.  The winner will then be selected and announced on Facebook at 1 pm on Friday, October 1st.

Details:
–Each post to Waxing Poetic’s Facebook Wall between 10 am eastern time on Tuesday, September 28th and noon eastern time on Thursday, September 30th will count as one entry.
–You may post more than once, but each post must be about a unique fortune that is special to you.
–Remember to tell us why the fortune is your favorite and what it meant to you!

We can’t wait to hear from you.  May we all have good fortune!

Staff Favorites: Chelsey

When I first started working at Waxing, I NEVER would have mixed metals.  I liked silver and only silver…I am opening up to this idea of Patti’s, encouraging people to mix their metals.  Today, I choose to represent myself and a loved one with the Silver Mother of Pearl Monogram Charm. I love its dainty, feminine characteristics combined with the bold Silver Square Insignia Charm, the Wing & Prayer Flaming Heart Charm along with the Brass Mother Of Pearl Charm, and for my birthday, the August Peridot Birth Ornament Charm...perfectly strung on my favorite 18" Rolo Chain, keeping them all close to my heart.  Since I have become such a fan of mixing metals, they compliment my random assortment of charms perfectly, and because I love the sayings on our Fragment Bangles, I layer the Silver "Love Struck. Star Struck. Moon Struck," the Brass "Give More Than A Damn," and the Silver "Say Yes More Often."  I love how you can put together a different ensemble everyday to reflect how you are feeling, to remember a loved one, or just to tell it like it is!

Share With Us & Add to Your Collection!

We absolutely love when customers tell us about their favorite combination of Waxing Poetic jewelry explaining in detail what each charm means, who they represent, and how they've added to it over the years, etc.  It's one of the best parts for us...the stories, the memory, the love.  We have a hunch that you too will also enjoy these stories of inspiration and style.  So to encourage sharing within our Waxing Poetic family, we're asking you to tell us about your favorite combination and one lucky Waxing Poetic wearer will win a brand-new combination pictured above!

Here's how it works:

1.  Visit our Facebook page and click Like
2.  Upload a photo of your favorite combination of Waxing Poetic jewelry to our Facebook Wall.  Tag yourself in the photo and in the photo caption area tell us why you chose your unique collection of charms and how it tells a story that is meaningful to you.
3.  From the photos uploaded, we'll randomly select a winner who will receive a new combination pictured above (Flat Cable Chain Necklace with a Square Insignia Charm & Pastimes Charm--both charms in your choice of style)!
4.  To be entered to win post your photos by noon on Friday, September 24th.  The winner will then be selected and announced on Facebook at 1 pm on Friday, September 24th.

Details:
--Each photo posted to Waxing Poetic's Facebook Wall between 9 am on Monday, September 20th and noon on Friday, September 24th will count as one entry.
--You may post more than one photo, but each photo must be of a unique combination of Waxing Poetic jewelry.
--Remember to tag yourself in the photo and tell us which pieces you're wearing and what it means to you in the caption.

We can't wait to hear your stories!  Everything good is better shared.

Let’s Hold Hands

Two years ago when we were designing the 2009 collection, many of us needed a little extra Faith to hold on to. With a passion for sacred objects, Patti felt compelled to create a charm that held similar meaning to Milagros, which are folk charms believed to have healing properties. The Waxing Poetic version would need to be something traditional that fit the line. Also fit was the concept of a charm for Best Friends—something to be shared. Inspired by one of my favorite pieces of vintage costume jewelry, we made our own version of the classic Victorian hand, with inscribed palms open to give and receive. Healing Hands are tiny reminders we can grasp when Life brings us moments that require a little extra something in our Heart to know we are not alone.

Side Lines Inc.

Each of our retailers possesses distinctive individual charm, spreading the personal touch of Waxing Poetic in their communities every day. As a token of our gratitude to our retailers and because we think you’ll love them as much as we do, we will be featuring one retailer each month here on Proof.  We’re delighted to introduce Side Lines Inc. from Florence, Alabama.

Welcome Side Lines Inc.!  We are so excited to have you here and learn more about your store and customers. We know that your priority is to offer a truly unique jewelry assortment for your customers and are so grateful for the success that you have had with the Waxing Poetic Line. What are your favorite collections? We absolutely love the entire Wing and a Prayer collection.  The Rings, Charms, and Cuffs are all must have items!

What are your favorite pieces? The Wing and a Prayer Sterling Silver and Brass Awareness Charm is our favorite.

What are your customers’ favorite collections? The customers all seem to love the Round and Square Insignia Charms.

What are your customers’ favorite pieces? The Antique Brass Insignia Charms and Baby Insignia Charms seem to be two of our best selling items.

What do you like most about the Waxing Poetic Line? Our customers most like the uniqueness and individuality of the line and always respond well to new pieces.

Thank you so much for taking the time to join us today!

Please be sure to visit Side Lines Inc. at 1611 Darby Drive in Florence, AL, give them a ring at 256-767-0925, or on Facebook and www.sidelinesjewelry.com.

Staff Favorites: Janelle

My favorite Waxing Poetic combination right now is the 30 inch Thin Rolo With Brass Beads Chain paired with the Live True Your Heart is Your Map Pendant and the Mother of Pearl Charm in“J.”  I love how feminine the Mother of Pearl Charm is and the mix of metals gives it a unique feel. It is also fun to wear each item separately or pair with other Waxing Poetic Jewelry. I often pair the brass “J” with an 18 inch Baby Ball Chain or even wear the chain alone to create a simpler, yet still personal piece with an outfit. It is always fun to constantly mix and match charms to express your ever-evolving self.

The Waxing Poetic line gives everyone the capability to create a necklace that no one else has. I also love the different poetic meanings behind each charm. An example of a charm with a deeper meaning is the Your Heart is Your Map Pendant.  The one I chose says Live True, which is a saying I try to incorporate into my life.  This small saying can have many different meanings, but I think of it as stay true to yourself and don't allow someone to change who you are.

Make Your Mark

Waxing Poetic made its mark with iconic insignia jewelry born from classic wax seals, so it was a clear relation to design pendants that represent their contemporary counterpart. Whether distinguishing a personal style or sending an outward message or paying homage to a loved one—how we express ourselves marks a place in time. Even if nothing is permanent 4EVER feels possible, at least in a lifetime.