From the moment we started to chat we covered ground that only happens when you are comfortable from the beginning to the end. And just like I discovered Martha Seely’s collections… both bold and sleek, fascinating yet calming- I also found Martha herself representing those same talents. Of course she would! How else could she create her jewelry line Sequence with those divergent qualities if she didn’t have them herself? So although we all can’t spend a couple of hours with Martha one on one, we hope you can experience the essence of Martha here todayMartha had a fascinating background in costume design in film and television before she decided to broaden her scope and focus on jewelry design. And what a focus she’s got! Her collections are considered to be so beautiful and unique that she was named a Rising Star at the Couture Jewelry Show this year- a show considered to be the ultimate gathering of jewelers in the world.
When asked what inspires her collections, Martha responded “As a designer the forms I find in the universe have had a profound influence on me and are reflected in my jewelry.” Martha moved her studio to the middle of the woods in Massachusetts and the view of the stars and the heavens can be felt even in the names she gives her collections such as Cirrus, Transition, Shooting Stars and Windswept all found in her Sequence jewelry line
The clean lines of her Scandinavian lineage and her mother’s influences are so clearly exhibited in her designs. The evolution of her life from childhood forward makes her smile when she reflects on the path her design process continues to travel. “Like all women, we bring our past experiences into our present and they influence our approach in our lives and work. It’s one of my favorite aspects of seeing my designs in a final piece or collection- I can recognize the various inspirations from my life revealed there. It’s both familiar and a surprise at the same time. It’s an aspect of my jewelry that also seems to resonate with many of my customers- as they feel elegant and sophisticated yet at the same time understated and contemporary wearing my jewelry.”
Additionally the organic spirals and shapes echoed in Martha’s jewelry can be found in nature. The movement in so many of Martha’s pieces are there as an homage to movement in the world all around us. She is always checking back with her heart and what it’s saying to her. She says “It’s still about my heart and what matters to me. Since my brand is really “me”- if I stay true to my heart I will be staying true to my brand and my designs will be an accurate reflection of me at any point in time. For instance, I also have a strong sense of architectural influences and tastes and I want that aesthetic revealed in my jewelry. So my designs often have a modern feel but with a unique twist interpretation.” Martha’s desire for her client is that her jewelry can be wearable in the family room and in the board room, can be worn out to dinner in the chicest restaurant or the hippest eatery. They can be worn anywhere and by any woman.
I know for myself, Martha’s jewelry is providing me with a new direction for my jewelry and style evolution. I think that Martha, like her jewelry, is inspiring me to new heights and perspectives as I too continue to grow and evolve. I see myself a little bit differently when I glimpse my reflection in the mirror while wearing a Martha Seely piece. It seems to say to me that I can go out there a little further on a life limb and push my boundaries a little more than I thought I could. It’s a good feeling. It’s a Martha feeling! And for that and two hours of great girl talk, I’m clearly a fan of Martha Seely and her incredible jewelry!!! Thanks Martha! Hope to chat again soon!!!