Jewelry Love: Mignonne Gavigan

Apr 14 2014

by Holly Phillips

I am so excited to meet jewelry designer Mignonne Gavigan this week at a trunk show in Charlotte. See the invite and join in the fun if you are around. I have long been a fan Mignonne Gavigan’s unique style.

I do believe I see a new necklace in my future but, how does one decide?

What is your training?

My training: UNC Chapel Hill, Parsons Paris then Parsons New York, Marc Jacobs intern, clothing designer at FORM new york, handbag designer for Khirma Eliazov, senior footwear designer for Rachel Roy, senior footwear designer for Loeffler Randall, Creative Director of Roarke New York, Owner/Creative Directore of Mignonne Gavigan.

What inspires you and your designs?

Everything and anything….the city I live in, the people around me, the cracks in the subway tiles, the texture of my pillows, the way my bathroom tiles are laid out, the thread work in vintage finds, the beading in my mother in law’s turn of the century beaded purses, the sunset, the reflection in the taxi cab window, the design of the skyscraper going up in place of the twin towers just down my street.

What is your favorite piece?

oh man, this question is WAY too hard. I’m obsessed with layering right now. I like to wear 2 necklaces at a time…..I wore the Charo 4 Pearl BLACK and the Stripes CORAL on top of a floral printed top and black blazer to a Vogue interview last week. Those paired together would have to be my current favs!

How has the your area influenced your work?

My area is New York and it has influenced my work in every way possible. I grew up in North Carolina and I always knew I wanted to live in New York. I feed off of the energy here…everyone around you is trying to be the best version of themselves and it pushes you to do the same. I have been able to travel the world because of my design positions and New York enabled me to get those jobs. I had to compete against so many others to get those positions and New York pushed me to work harder than I ever thought possible. The year I was completing Parsons, I was interning at Marc Jacobs as well as working part time at Aspry as a PR assistant. I pushed myself to keep going because I knew I needed to finish school and have experience under my help to eventually get the design positions I desired.

What is your favorite restaurant in New York?

Estancia 460….it was right around the corner from our old apartment and it has the BEST thin crust pizza! It’s a totally chill spot too so I love go there and linger at dinner.

What is your favorite cocktail?

Kettle vodka martini, up with olives….extra dirty.

How do you balance personal life and work?

This was definitely a process…I used to travel every month for work…to China, to Europe, etc…..but you begin to lose touch with your homelife when you travel that much. I switched gears and made my personal life a priority. I work a long, full day, but make sure to be home and present with my husband as soon as he gets off work.

Dream trip?

Oh wow, this is a great question. I am really excited to go to Morocco at some point….the color draws me there. Greece. We have a wedding in Greece in September and I plan to do some serious exploring. Budapest. Bangladesh. I have a curious spirit and am drawn to different cultures and what I can learn from them. Through my many design positions, I have been able to travel extensively and I am extremely grateful for that. I have been able to open my mind to new things because of this and hope to continue exploring the world in the future. It feeds my creativity.