Bold, heavy jewelry. It may be enchanting at first, but these heavyweights usually find themselves lonesome left in your jewelry box. That is the last thing local jewelry designer Leslie Yang of Feistyelle wants. Yang also wants to promote sustainable style. Combine laser-cut wool felt, vegan suede and bamboo ply, with sustainable standards, and you have a featherweight, eco-friendly accessories collection.
A graphic designer by training, Yang started Feistyelle in 2005 with the desire to craft jewelry and accessories that were clean, colorful and versatile. Locally designed and assembled, Yang prides herself on being the first to make earrings from laser-cut wool felt, her trademark material. Earrings are Yangs soft spot; she wasn't allowed pierced earrings until she was sixteen. And now, she doesn't leave the house without them.
Her whimsical collection includes earrings, necklaces, brooches and hairclips, nature-inspired jewelry display pieces and these irresistible Wool Felt Coasters ($35) in dahlia and gingko prints. They make an unexpected gift idea or a pop of color for any eclectic interior.
Feistyelle is also inventive. The Stacked Lotus Earrings ($29) are 6-in-1 and you can wear the necklaces two ways—one style with the clasp in the front and the other as a lariat. The Leaf Earrings ($28) can be stacked, while the Feather Earrings ($28) are a 2-in-1 style that can dangle or bend into a unique feather hoop design. The Gold Dusted Feather Earrings ($36) and the Special Edition Neon Earrings ($29) are the most fashion forward.
Another savvy business practice of Feistyelle is the No Earring Left Behind policy, where you can purchase a single earring when a pesky loss occurs. Shop Feistyelle in local and national retailers and online at Feistyelle.com.
Sam Durbin (sami.7x7@gmail.com) is a California lifestyle writer who honed her blogging skills as Editor of FabSugar.com. Sam graduated from The Fashion Institute of Technology, and also writes for 7x7 Magazine, Zagat and PureWow.
