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 BY NADIA DABBAKEH |  | | | | | PinkMemo-Dallas and Cadillac present emerging designers from Texas. Accessories, ready-to-wear, couture and footwear designers from Dallas, Houston, and Austin featured each month. We've got talent.
A Gem of a Jeweler
What do you get when you cross a beautiful blonde bombshell that has an eye for fashion with some serious jewelry making skills? One gem of a jeweler who is not only talented but the kind of girl with whom you want to be gal pals. We’re talking about Amber Venz -- a former Dallas shop girl whose baubles will get you, well, excited to shop!
Born thirty minutes east of Dallas in Garland, Texas, Venz graduated from Southern Methodist University in December 2008. The young designer began honing her craft during her freshman year of high school when her aunt, who was the president of the Crisis Pregnancy Center, asked her to donate some of her jewelry to an annual benefit sale. The jewelry was a hit, and soon Venz’s friends and acquaintances began asking her to design jewelry for them. “Girls would drop off homecoming dresses at my house for me to design and make jewelry to match,” says Venz. | | | | | | | | | | You may recognize the svelte designer when you see her - if so, it’s because after her freshman year, Venz began working at the Snider Plaza boutique Sebastian’s. The chic shop did not carry much jewelry at the time, and Venz noticed that it wasn’t quite up to par. She took the initiative and asked Sebastian if he would be willing to allow her to design pieces to sell in the store - and, he said yes. The shop started selling the line in May 2006, where it was sold exclusively for four years. Venz was compensated for sales in clothing and accessories.
“After graduation,” explains Venz, “my boyfriend noticed that I was making just enough jewelry to pay off the purses, shoes and dresses that I took from the store, and he told me that I was capable of selling so much more and making a living off of the jewelry sales alone.” In April of this year she incorporated as Amber Venz, Inc. and her eponymous line was officially born. Venz spent her nights creating jewelry while her boyfriend’s company, NastyGoat, built her e-commerce website, which just launched in August. In less than a month after launching, Venz had already garnered a cult following and was producing large amounts of jewelry herself, without the help of a production team. The line was selling out at Sebastian’s, and after four months of increasing sales, Venz decided it was time to walk away from her buying position and focus on her rapidly growing brand. She hired two reps, found a couple interns and began selling her goods wholesale. The designer refurbished her father’s media room into a showroom/personal studio. Venz now sells to eight stores in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana and holds frequent trunk shows in the tri-state area.
But what can we expect from an incredibly young jeweler (and former fit model to designer Thakoon)? “I am inspired by my materials and by vintage glamour,” says Venz. “I mainly use freshwater pearls and Swarovski crystals, vintage baubles, vintage Chanel chains, and semi-precious stones.” Her “Almost Famous” collection boasts beautiful necklaces that drip with layered strands of pearls, antique broaches, rhinestones, and ribbon that would add a touch of old school Hollywood glamour to any outfit. It’s not all old school though. I got to take a closer look at Venz’s delicate handiwork at a photo shoot for her new look book - thin, barbed wire-inspired bangles, chunky necklaces with one-of-a-kind trinkets, and turquoise strands with details that make the back just as interesting as the front - the entire collection is not only wearable but also covetable. And the entire look book was styled by Venz herself at her boyfriends family home, with her own clothes, models who were both friends or from a local agency, and a young SMU fashion photographer, Colby Kruger.
“I LOVE working for myself,” said Venz. “I am incredibly creative and being my own boss allows me to find inspiration and create at any hour. Being on my own -- financially and employment-wise -- challenged me to succeed. My success or my failure is in direct correlation to my talent, dedication and strategy. Wanting to prove myself is the biggest driver of my success.”
Rising star Amber Venz is clearly one to watch. Pieces run from $88 to $1800 - visit www.ambervenz.com to find the store nearest you. | | | | | | | | | | | |
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