DESIGNER ON THE RISE

CFDA nominated jewelry designer Dana Lorenz

We have been obsessed with Fenton/Fallon jewelry for years, and wouldn’t be surprised if Dana Lorenz becomes a household name before long. In the past year alone, the jewelry designer has opened her own boutique in New York’s Lower East Side, designed a collection for J. Crew, and seen her work on everyone from Michelle Obama to The City’s Whitney Port. Before she started Fenton in 2005, Lorenz worked for Gucci and Donna Karan, but making jewelry for friends to wear to parties led her down an unexpected career path. “I had a thousand sketches and I always knew I wanted to cultivate something, but the start was very serendipitous,” recounts Lorenz. “Alexander Plokhov (of the now shuttered Cloak menswear line) and I became acquainted through mutual friends and he asked if I could design some men’s pieces for his show. From that push I developed the women’s collection.”

These days, Lorenz designs two distinct yet interconnected jewelry lines which are showcased in her fantastic, neon-lit boutique at the end of Freeman Alley. “Fenton is an elaborate mix of unexpected elements. The aesthetic inspires fantasy, and is always derived from a strong pop culture reference and point of view. The pieces are strong statements and each are little worlds all their own,” explains Lorenz. In contrast, the newer Fallon line is meant to be more wearable for day, visually graphic, and affordable.

This past March, Lorenz was nominated, along with Alexander Wang and Eddie Borgo, for this year’s CFDA Swarovski Award for Accessory Design. “It’s been so unbelievable,” she tells us. “It’s unreal and I’m so grateful and thankful to be nominated.” The results won’t be announced until next month, but no matter who the winner is, it’s undoubtedly been a first-class year for Lorenz.

For more information, visit danalorenz.com. Fenton/Fallon is sold at Holt Renfrew in Canada.

By Truc Nguyen