Today, we're happy to share with you our conversation with Sophia, owner of the independent brand High Priestess Beads based out of La Puente, California.
We wanted to get to know a little bit more about who she is, what inspired the launch of her brand, and where she plans to take things in the near future. Here's how it went:
Thanks for taking the time to chat with us Sophia! We're excited to have you as our next feature and learn more about you and your brand. Let's start this off with you sharing exactly what it was that initially drew you to your craft, and how has your journey unfolded since then?
Sophia: I have always been drawn to fashion for as long as I can remember. Ever since I was a little girl, I was always playing with fashion-related toys and watching all types of designers and modeling-related TV shows, so naturally, I wanted to pursue a career in it. I grew up creatively and did things like art class, pursued things in writing, and always wanted to make clothes and accessories on the side. When COVID happened, I started revisiting more hobbies to keep the time occupied, like making wire jewelry with a box of crystals I was using and putting them on wire string to use as a waistband. I just never realized that jewelry was going to be my route into it.
Can you share some insights into your creative process? Where do you find inspiration, and how do you translate that into your work?
Sophia: I feel like a lot of my creative process comes from me working alone, and I love working with pairing colors, and I truly get inspired from the materials that I work with. I feel like I just naturally know how to work with beads in such a good way. I draw inspiration from what I feel like I would wear myself and what I feel like would make me most confident, and I’m just lucky that other girls gravitate towards my personal style as well. I really think that my overall background with being so interested in the realm of fashion gives me the ability to be some sort of stylist and have that outlet and balance where I can create for myself and still create the trends I want to make and make them unique to myself and my brand. I’m truly inspired by all the women that I know personally because it’s taken me so much time to realize that you cannot compare beauty; there’s so many unique people, and I’ve seen all the jewelry look beautiful and transform confidence no matter shape, size, or color, so truly, when I’m creating, I'm inspired by the girls that I know in my day-to-day life.
What projects are you currently working on, and what excites you the most about them?
Sophia: This year has been my busiest year yet and this August I am doing a photo shoot inspired by the simple life with Nicole Ritchie and Paris Hilton and I work with other mutual fashion students and in that same circle I will be doing a fall runway in October for the university of Riverside (vain runway) what excites me the most about them is working with other people in my age group that are just as excited about expressing creativity and exploring fashion in the same way that I am and I love working with people that I’ve built relationships with over the course of having a business and like I said previously I’m always inspired by the people that I work with and events that I’m given the opportunity to be a part of like this motivate me to keep pushing my brand and designs out there.
Looking back on your career so far, what would you consider to be your proudest achievement or most memorable moment?
Sophia: One of my most memorable moments has to be seeing people walk in my jewelry down a runway because it was such a full circle to me growing up as a girl who was so interested in fashion and was so nervous to see if it was a possibility for me, but to be on that path at such a young age, I feel like it truly is possible for me. From sitting front row in the audience to seeing the reactions and the aftermath of support from peers, it was very affirming to my confidence in my brand.
How do you navigate challenges and setbacks in your field, and what advice would you give to aspiring creatives facing similar obstacles?
Sophia: I feel like I’m lucky enough to have a really strong support base at home because since I manage everything myself, like the social media and actually designing the communicating with clients, scheduling events, and things of the sort, it would be hard enough to deal with setbacks and other inconveniences, so having a strong support base at home does help almost all the time. For other aspiring creatives facing similar obstacles, something I did not want to do in the beginning was talk to other creators or jewelry designers/people in a similar field who are in the same career as me because I had a lot of pride, but when I put that aside, I was able to get a lot of feedback that motivated me to understand that everything is a process and things are meant for you; they will happen for you, and the more work you put in to things, the more they will carry out.
In an industry constantly evolving, how do you stay innovative and relevant while maintaining your unique voice/style?
Sophia: I think I was lucky enough to choose a craft that will always be considered a necessity in the fashion industry because jewelry is something that is constantly evolving and will always remain in trend regardless of the time periods. My style of jewelry is also always changing because I intend to teach myself so many different techniques and varieties of design, I don’t stick to just one niche in accessories. I can pretty much make anything, so I know because of that I’m not limiting myself to a certain crowd.
Can you talk about any collaborations or partnerships that have been particularly meaningful or impactful for you?
Sophia: I think the collaboration that has meant the most to me is working with my film photographer, Jesse! (@fisheyezjess) He is super talented and just always down to collaborate on all my crazy concepts, and he truly does get inspired by the girls and the sets we choose, and it’s so crazy to watch him work! It was very impactful because I feel that it truly has elevated the look of the account that I'm managing, and it elevates the aesthetic of our jewelry. The. photographs are always so amazing, and the attention to our mood board is always perfect.
What do you hope audiences or consumers take away from your work, and what impact do you aspire to make in your industry?
Sophia: I hope that consumers or clients of my jewelry see the quality and the care that was put into making each piece because a lot of time is put into everything that we make, from working on a design to the sourcing and the overall time to make it. The impact I want to make in my industry would be that I hope that people understand jewelry is wearable art and the mainstream concept of jewelry is so one note, and I really hope I’m given the chance to show how it can be elevated and be so many different things. I truly hope to make an emphasis on maximalism and investing in good quality pieces.
Lastly, what message or piece of wisdom would you like to share with your fans, or anyone inspired by your journey?
Sophia: I would just like to say thank you for those that have stuck with me since the beginning-people that I’ve met at flea markets, clients that I have shipped to across the country to or even the people who stop by to share a conversation at our booths. Every single interaction means so much because everything is feeding into my dream of being a jewelry designer and pushing my pieces out in the world. For anybody that has been inspired by our journey, it’s been a very crazy 3 1/2 years, but I feel that in this last year I’ve finally been placed on the path I want to be on, and I have finally proven to myself that I do belong in this type of industry and that we are way beyond the means of an average jewelry business. Truly at this point, l’ve finally created a brand in itself.
Sophia, we thank you again for giving us the chance to get to know more about you. Now, the floor is yours, share with us the links people can use to find more of your work, as well as any special announcements or projects you have coming up in the near future!
Please come by and shop with us on the weekends at Silverlake flea market and follow us on Instagram to stay tuned with our photo shoot and upcoming fall run away this October.
@highpriestessbeads on Instagram
@smorales0884 on Pinterest
@sophiaemorales on TikTok
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