WXYZ Jewelry's Laura Wass Loves The Technical Side of Design

By Leslie Price Jul 26, 2013, 3:30pm EDT

The designer modeling a few of her pieces.

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Laura Wass looked to everything from Arabic geometry to DNA strands to the finishing process used to coat guns when creating her statement-making line, WXYZ Jewelry. Launched last year after stints at Philip Crangi, Giles & Brother, and hardware manufacturer Metal Dynamics, it's been covered by Women's Wear Daily, Elle magazine and DailyCandy.

"In my career, I've spent a lot of time behind the scenes of manufacturing—and to me that is the most exciting part of what I do," said Wass. "How things are made and pushing physicality is what most informs my design process." Pieces are dreamed up in the creative epicenter that is the 3rd Ward in Bushwick, Brooklyn and are crafted using techniques like lathing and die cutting. Wass' hallmark is intricate, complex, and bold design that feels architectural; one necklace in her debut collection was made up of more than 250 parts. "Behind creativity is the technical practice," she says.