As Seen On : Grace Vander Els

[intro + interview by kayla doyle]

There is a theory going around that there are creative people and non-creative people. You’re either born creative and creatively talented or you're not. 

In elementary school, kids are early on “identified” as creative. If you’re not deemed a creative kid, then maybe you’re flagged a sports kid, or a math kid, or good at academics. Gifted, smart, athletic, artistic, creative. 

We’re labeled so early on and this labeling often stays with us as adults:  

“She’s so creative” 

“She’s very athletic” 

You’re either creative or not. Athletic or not. 

We use our labels to determine how good or bad we expect to be at something. And this is a dangerous thing. Because this dictates or shapes our reality and in some ways, what we choose to engage in or not. But the funny thing is, we’re all creative as kids. We build, shape, design dreams, write, think, believe. That’s before someone labels us. 

This September, Amy Vander Els and her niece, Grace are releasing a new line of jewelry called Grace X Amy. In anticipation of this launch, I had the chance to speak with Grace about what inspired this line, what she loves about making jewelry and, what she enjoys. 

Grace, congratulations on your first line - hopefully one of many! May you always be creative and create and, may you never adhere to a label. 

Here’s to us all keeping our creativity. 

-kmd

Grace, please tell us a little bit about yourself.

I'm 15 years old and I'm a sophomore in high school. I love to hang out with my friends and family. I also love to play field hockey, basketball, and I just started playing tennis. During summer I like to go to the beach and during winter I like to ski. And I love to make jewelry :)

What are your favorite things to learn about in school? 

I like math and science and I like learning about problems in our world and ways to solve them.

grace wearing the tiki studs and the caneel necklace

You and your Auntie Amy decided to create a line of jewelry together. Can you tell us about the inspiration for Grace X Amy?

We wanted the jewelry line to have a beach vibe. You can wear these pieces when you are swimming at the beach, going for a run, shooting a basketball around, and even sleeping. But these designs also look cute so you can wear them going out with your friends or family and can dress up any outfit. I named my jewelry pieces after some of my favorite beaches that I have been to.

What was your design process? What inspired these pieces? Do you have a favorite part of the process? 

I started by sketching out some of my ideas and then we tried to create samples. We chose to use a lot of turquoise and carnelian because they have great meanings: turquoise is known to provide solace and give a sense of serenity and peace, and carnelian is known to provide motivation, endurance, leadership and courage. We wanted these pieces to be easy, pretty and comfy, and for you to be able to wear these pieces for all of your occasions. My favorite part of jewelry making is soldering.

What is your favorite piece from your new line and why?

I really like all of the pieces but my two favorites are the Tiki Studs in turquoise and the Mandal Anklet. I like them both because they look nice, I can wear them to anything and they are very comfortable to wear. And I love the turquoise because it reminds me of the ocean. 

You have been working with Amy for a couple of years now. What do you enjoy the most about being in the studio together? 

I love spending time with Auntie Amy. She has taught me so much about how to run a business and how to talk with customers. I am so grateful for the opportunity to have our own line of jewelry, it’s teaching me so much. She has also taught me that you can be working hard but still have a lot of fun.

What do you think about your Auntie Amy?

She is one of the nicest people I know. She is always open to trying new things and she is very adventurous <3 And she is very fun to be around and the best boss ever :)

Do you wear Amy’s jewelry?

I wear a lot of her earrings and necklaces. I really like her Short Staple Earrings because they are very unique and pretty and also the Cavo Ring.

What do you wear this piece/pieces with?

I usually wear jeans or leggings with sweaters or t-shirts.

What excites you about the future? 

I am excited about all the new adventures I will have. I will be spending time with family and friends, traveling the world, and I will always know how to make jewelry so I can continue making it.

grace’s faces

Thank you so much for reading our latest installment of As Seen On, and please check out our new Instagram page grace_x_amy for all of the things Grace and Amy.

ASO readers, please enjoy 20% off Grace’s picks, the Tiki Studs, the Mandal Anklet , the Short Staple Earrings and the Cavo Ring. Discount is taken at checkout.

And one last, but very important thing: September is National Childhood Cancer Awareness Month. Grace and I will be donating 10% of our Grace X Amy online sales during the month of September to our friends at Lucy’s Love Bus, an amazing foundation that delivers love, comfort and quality of life to children battling cancer. Click HERE to shop Grace X Amy, get some great deals and support an amazing cause.

If you or someone you know wears Amy’s pieces and is interested in being featured in our “Ode to the Wearers", please reach out to us. We’d love to learn more about you and what you wear.