The Designer

In early 2008, fashion enthusiast, Michelle Charak, moved from the familiarity of her hometown of Chicago, to the unknown, urban wilderness of New York City. She began working at a high-end consignment boutique, making contacts and taking classes at FIT on the weekends in order to further her career as an aspiring stylist.

Her favorite was a hand-sewing workshop where as a final project, the students had to produce something, anything, completely sewn by hand. She found it oddly soothing to sew buttons and began playing with patterns, sizes, shapes and colors until she created something resembling a piece of jewelry; the ultimate result was a mélange of horn, metal, leather, grosgrain and silk, which created a dramatic, yet understated piece. She received rave reviews but was unconvinced of the true potential her creation had to offer.

Until one fateful night while visiting her family in Chicago, she pulled out the necklace and wore it to a dinner function. A fashion industry insider noticed the piece and inquired about the unique design. Upon realizing Michelle’s promise, she encouraged Michelle to turn her hobby into a career and that is where our story begins…