As Katie Kuhn briskly walked to an afternoon class last fall, the sight of a stranger's chocolate pearl necklace nearly stopped her dead in her loafers.The life-long fashion and accessories devotee was not paralyzed by a jealous impulse. Instead, Kuhn stood awe-struck as she marked the first instance she saw a piece from her very own jewelry collection, Katherine Kuhn Accessories, dangling on the neck of a complete stranger.
After a whirlwind year of filling custom orders and unearthing the freshest and most fun beads on the East Coast, Kuhn is no stranger to astounded double-takes.
"It was such a surreal experience to have my things on display next to real designers at Scarpa," Kuhn said."But to actually pass a girl walking around in a necklace I made was unbelievable."
The fourth-year English major from Falls Church, Va. said she tends to forget that she too is a 'real,' respected jewelry designer.
Working at Scarpa during the summer of 2001 fueled Kuhn's passion for designing accessories, and she broke into jewelry making with chunky-yet-sophisticated necklaces.Over the last year and a half, her collection has expanded to include dangling earrings and beaded bracelets.
In the same year the self-trained Kuhn began tinkering with innovative ideas for funky jewelry with a classic feel, pieces of Kuhn's constantly-growing collection have enticed Charlottesville customers and high-end fashion authorities alike.
The commotion began with two necklaces showcased at Scarpa and spiraled into a request for a portfolio from representatives at Manhattan's Henri Bendel department store.Then, on August 15, 2002, daytime sweetheart and Virginia native Katie Couric donned Kuhn's "enamel peacock on pink suede" necklace before a national audience on the Today show.
When asked about her reactions to the outpouring of admiration for her designs, Kuhn remains unwittingly modest.
"There have been numerous occasions where I've had to ask myself, 'Is this really happening? Am I asleep?'" Kuhn said.
Portrait of a Designer
Kuhn, infamous among high school friends in Falls Church for her crafty and creative birthday gifts, says she "always had a strong interest in design elements."
But she sites her first summer working at Scarpa as the immediate cause in sparking her desire to design.
"A necklace came in that I was dying for, but I couldn't afford it at full price," Kuhn said."When a co-worker suggested that I just make it myself, I said, 'right, like I can make jewelry.'"
But long after the pricey necklace sold, Kuhn said the co-worker's idea stayed with her.With the help of her colleague's husband's expertise, Charlottesville bead stores Studio Baboo and Blue Ridge Glass and her natural inventive edge, Kuhn began making pieces for herself. As her diverse collection of chunky, multi-strand designs and pink and green-hued pendants grew, so did the realm of her customer base.
"I was really just making for myself," Kuhn said, "and other people started noticing it and liking it."
As friends began begging Kuhn for a red piece to match a formal dress or asking her to make the most of their hundred- dollar bill at the bead boutiques, Kuhn said a weird sense of confidence emerged in her.
When friends and family members insisted on paying Kuhn for her creations, she realized that perhaps her hobby had a certain pizzazz. When she contemplated her plans for the summer following her third year, Kuhn decided to pack her bags, her beads and her sketchpad and try her luck at Parsons School of Design in Manhattan.
"I knew that going to Parsons would be a step in the right direction," Kuhn said."Although it seemed the whole thing was taking on a life of its own."
While Kuhn drew, sketched and studied fashion design, her pieces continued garnering ooh's and ahh's from friends in New York.It was here that a Bendel's representative noticed one of Kuhn's necklaces on a friend browsing the department store.When the rep requested the name and portfolio of the designer, Kuhn's friend replied, "Katie Kuhn."
Polishing up
Before Bendel's request, Kuhn had not been actively marketing her work. But with Bendel's yearning to see her portfolio and Parsons strengthening her training day by day, Kuhn says she "knew she had to get her act together."
After taking out a $1000 loan from her parents, Kuhn said she turned to Scarpa owner Amy Gardner, who continues to be a mentor. According to Kuhn, Gardner assisted her in crafting a professional portfolio -- which meant learning how to photograph her pieces, as well as decide on an official name and logo for the collection.
"Amy's been a real mentor to me," Kuhn said. "She just has an incredible design-edge, and she really helped me ask myself, 'how do I want to market this product?'"
In asking herself this very question, Kuhn said she reflected on her values and her down-to-earth personality, and she knew she wanted to retain a personalized, small-scale feel.
"I knew my audience was young and sophisticated, so I wanted the collection to be fashion-forward," Kuhn said."But it was also important to me that it be reasonably priced and lots of fun."
In keeping with her desire to present a classic rather than trend-driven collection, Kuhn settled on 'Katherine Kuhn Accessories' for her label.
Kuhn's mother also provided her with an ingenious marketing tactic.
"Because we don't see a brand or tag, it's really hard to brand jewelry," Kuhn said."So my mom's idea was to have a tiny pink bead dangling from the clasp of all my pieces."
After Bendel's evaluated Kuhn's portfolio and informed her they admired her work but didn't have room for it just yet at the store, she said she was disappointed at first. But Bendel's interest motivated Kuhn to dabble in some business classes at the University and continue promoting her collection.With successful stints at the Newcomb Hall Farmer's Market, sustained fame at Scarpa and regular "trunk sales" inher home where she entertains and woos customers, there is no apparent cessation in Kuhn's trajectory to designer stardom.
Though her classic-with-a-twist jewelry has graced Katie Couric's neck, Kuhn keeps her head -- and her staple black boots -- firmly grounded in her family, friends and adoring Charlottesville customer base.
"I much prefer selling privately to publicly," Kuhn said. "My future won't include pursuing Cartier or Tiffany's to carry this collection."
But judging from Kuhn's fairy-tale story, the future may not lay in her hands.
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