Hey TWIST Girls!
Here at TWIST we know our readers are already super stylish and totally creative but you're always looking for more tips and tricks to become the ultimate fashionista! So we decided to sit down with Lacey Ryan, the young jewelry designer who, at just 9-years-old, started up a business that now boasts fans including Justin Bieber, Emma Roberts, and many more of our fave celebrities! Lacey shared her advice on starting up a business, how to accessorize and what it was like finding out Justin was wearing her jewelry!
TWIST: How did you get your business started?
Lacey: I started when I was about nine, I participated in craft fairs and I always loved creating things. All my friends would be at the beach and I was just obsessed with creating and making jewelry.
TWIST: What would be your advice for girls who are interested in starting their own fashion or jewelry line?
Lacey: Be prepared for a lot of work! There are going to be a lot of drawbacks and a lot of things that put you backward but there's always something bright to look forward to. You cant be discouraged when something happens that you weren't planning. It's a lot of work but it's extremely rewarding when you see people wearing the things you've designed.
TWIST: Do you have any tips on how to accessorize outfits?
Lacey: I think it's really important that you don't necessarily just follow a trend, it's fun to put everything together the way you like to wear it. Keep up with the trends -- like right now neon is really popular -- so you can mix trends, pieces you find and then things that you've owned forever to create your own individual style.
TWIST: What's your number one accessory that you couldn't live without?
Lacey: Ever since I started my collection I wear the beaded bracelets backed up on my wrists every single day. I don't leave the house without them, lots of layering! It's fun because I'll wear something that I make and then I'll wear it with something my grandmother gave me, it's fun to mix old and new.
TWIST: You've had some huge celebrities wearing your jewelry lately. What was your reaction when you heard that your line was getting so much Hollywood buzz?
Lacey: It was awesome, definitely a huge dream of mine that I didn't really think would ever happen or was capable of happening. Once it happened it was just extremely exciting.
TWIST: What inspires your designs?
Lacey: I'm really inspired by what surrounds me. I'm influenced by colors, seasons, places I've been and people I've met. A recent trip to South Africa really changed my inspirations just in terms of colors and geometric shapes and patterns. I was kind of structured in one way and when I went there it opened my mind to mix and match and put things together that I normally wouldn't. I just love seeing new stones and colors, they kind of strike my imagination and I run with it.
What's your secret to accessorizing? Have you ever tried to make your own clothes or jewelry? Tell us in the comments and be sure to pick up our February issue for lots of style tips from the stars!
XOXO,
Kelly