IdStyle Spotlight: Brazen Design

August 3, 2009

Brazen Design is inspired by nature, urban iconography and the interesting margins where the two meet. It offers jewelry pieces for those who know what they like, who dare to be themselves and who appreciate the value of hand-crafted quality items. Brazen Designs are sometimes simple and even subtle, but mostly the pieces offer fashion statements and the opportunity to show-off your idiosyncratic style.

Behind Brazen Design is Rachel Rachna Dhawan who never leaves home without her signature two-finger-knuckle-duster ring. Her personal style relies on structured shapes, high waists, bold colors, fresh tailoring and, of course, huge accessories. This season, Rachel says she’s really digging embellished and covered shoe heels.

Rachel began jewelry making as a child, making oversized Fimo and Friendly Plastic pieces and proudly wearing them to school. While pursuing a bachelor degree in Fine Arts at Concordia, she used jewelry-making as a respite from “the intense, concept-heavy art practice” of academics, even thinking of dropping out to pursue Silver-smithing. Rachel stuck it out and enrolled in the Montreal Jewelry School following graduation from university. Like most artists, she was hooked from the start, but when her patience and design interest outpaced the course, she opted for a self-taught method of learning. It was the perfect passion for a girl who loves working with her hands and the creative satisfaction that comes with using imagination, time, energy and hard work to create a physical object of interest and beauty.

Brazen Design pieces start with an inspired moment, a sketch and Adobe Illustrator editing until Rachel is happy with the overall design concept. The piece is then cut from silver, drilled, filed, sanded, finished with polishing or brushing and assembled. Rachel insists on customer feedback in order to create the perfect piece for the wearer.

Rachel’s favorite piece is one of her best-sellers, the Tree Necklace. It took a year’s worth of work to create the intricate shapes of a natural tree while avoiding oversimplifying and cartooning the design. The most bizarre Brazen Design to date is custom sterling silver asthma puffer created for a friend.

When it comes to fashion icons, Rachel likes the brass and sass of M.I.A., the androgyny of Marlena Dietrich and everything about Frida Kahlo. She also makes note of The Right Honorable Michaelle Jean as a very classy fashionista. Rachel spent her childhood grinding to old dancehall and has a soft spot for great hip hop. She is East Indian and although she doesn’t care for gold, she adores the “elaborately gilded and patterned textile culture”.

To purchase Brazen Designs, you can shop online at the Brazen Design Etsy Shop or check the Brazen Design website for a list of retailers in Montreal, Ottawa, Edmonton, Vancouver and San Francisco.