High Society Collection -- Jewelry for the Young at Heart
With Amelia, less than a year old, peering through her Pack N Play at her mother, Erin Colvin, it was fitting to learn that it was Erin’s very own mother who inspired the jewelry at High Society Collection.
Back in high school, Erin was infatuated with her mother’s lovely roach clip, which she stole and lost... Today High Society’s number one seller is her “stoned circle” necklace which is not only a beautiful piece of jewelry, but also functions as a smoking device.
Eclipsed by the success of the “stoned circle” necklace, the rest of her collection goes beyond discreet, classy paraphernalia, making clever and playful takes on adornment, with everything from puzzle rings to a jewel-encrusted bubble blower.
And why a bubble blower, you might ask? Because her “very youthful” mother travels with bubbles in the glove compartment of her car, and when feeling antsy on road trips, she pulls over to blow and dance away her wiggles. A delightful image to associate with the frivolous piece. It is truly an ode to the free-spirit in us all.
We found out that Erin has been making jewelry since high school -- a veritable fountain of creative energy that hasn’t ceased -- and is celebrating five years of the High Society Collection by going back to her creative roots in glass, making playful sprinkle earrings with a kiln that came from the small town of Brookings, Oregon where she’s from.
But behind the polished-yet-playful facade of High Society Collection are real life struggles we often hear with makers, especially young parents. We appreciated Erin’s straight forward candor about her strengths and weaknesses as a designer and business owner. She spoke at length about how her strong suit is creating and generating ideas, and how she wishes she could pass the business side of things to someone else. Though she founded High Society Collection as a way to focus her energy, she admits that her creative spirit still leads her to wandering in projects. If she could have her cake and eat it too, Erin would have the freedom to get back in to making for the sake of art itself, perhaps showing in galleries again.
Such bare-chested disclosure about the push and pull of a creative makes us even more appreciative for the opportunities we have to share in appreciating a line of products from any maker. We can’t help but imagine Erin and others like her as hummingbirds, vibrating, holding at this line of products, heart bursting ready to zip to another beautiful thing. We should always and forever remember the importance of not taking for granted a maker’s giving nature in sharing one idea enough for all to see and enjoy.
