Behind the Counter- February
Welcome to the February edition of my newsletter, Behind the Counter. Take a glimpse behind the scenes at Thistle & Bess to connect with people who inspire, hear the thoughtful stories behind the goods that I love and find out what is currently sparking joy in my life.
I have been a huge fan of the artist Fatima Ronquillo for some time. I stumbled upon her work online and it was love at first sight. Fatima Ronquillo is a self-taught painter who combines old master techniques with a playful modern sensibility to create a world where art history meets with imagined characters from literature, theater and opera. Born in Pampanga, Philippines, Fatima Ronquillo emigrated as a child to the United States. She currently lives and works in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
While all of her work is absolutely stunning, I am particularly fond of her paintings of hands. The symbology, jewelry and Lover’s Eyes (see more about these below!) included in these works are just so fantastic. I actually got the inspiration for our best-selling T&B Diana Ring from one of Fatima’s paintings. See more of Fatima’s work by following her on instagram @fatimaronquillostudio
Read more about Fatima Ronquillo in a recent interview, “Of Art and Love”, HERE
We are getting ready to host a fun Galentine Weekend at the shop on February 10 & 11. Two of our favorite local artists, Libby Hopper-Trajkovski of Goldeluxe Jewelry and Meghan Navoy of Rosemarine Textiles, will be at the shop that weekend offering permanent bracelets and a selection of naturally dyed textiles, including fabulous hair bows. They will also be working together to offer a pick your own pearl/ naturally dyed bow jewelry piece. Libby and Meghan are actually great friends and I recently chatted with them about collaboration in small business.
How did the two of you meet?
Libby: Meg cold-emailed me after she found me on instagram (I think it was instagram!) - we were both new to Detroit. We met up for coffee and chatted business stuff. That was in 2015 I think! We've been friends ever since.
Meg: I found Goldeluxe Jewelry on Instagram when I first moved to Detroit. I cold DM’d Libby and asked if she wanted to get coffee. We met at Astro coffee and ended up immediately hitting it off and chatting for two hours. We’ve been friends ever since!
Do you ever feel isolated as a small business owner?
Libby: Sometimes! Luckily though I have many small business owning friends. Even if I work alone most days, we're texting about stuff. It really helps me feel less alone while I work.
Meg: Yes and no. If I were to do it all over again, I’d love to have a business partner to work with who has an equal vested interest in the success of the company. It’s tough to be the only person at the top! I am also interested in a co-op model for future endeavors. I just love working as a team with others and am less partial to a hierarchical structure. On the other hand, I feel so grateful for the amazing support of the Detroit small business community. So many of my close friends are creative small business owners and it’s such a gift to be able to share ideas, resources and commiserate about the ups and downs of entrepreneurship.
Do you like collaborating with other small businesses? If so, what are some of your favorite ways to work together?
Libby: I don't do it very often, but I have loved organizing popups with Meg and Mollie from Object Apparel. It's really fun to collab with each other and our other small business friends to create a cool event where we also get to hang out. I haven't done any jewelry collabs in the past but I'm currently working on two! I'm especially excited to be creating some fine jewelry with Elaine B Jewelry this year.
Meg: I love collaborating with other small businesses! The main way I have done this is through events and pop ups. I am excited about this collaboration with Goldeluxe for some fun pearl and bow jewelry that we are working on. We’re going to create 1-2 products combining ribbons and pearls as earrings and/or a necklace. I am really looking forward to this one! I also love creating custom naturally dyed pieces for brands. Previously, I worked with Elaine B Jewelry to create indigo dyed pouches for her jewelry.
Are there specific things you look for when considering a collaboration with another business?
Libby: It has to be with someone I trust, which would mean someone who is already a friend. It also has to be mutually beneficial. If the only benefit is that it's fun, and that makes it worth it to me, I would still consider it!
Meg: If I feel excited and inspired when discussing the potential collaboration, it’s a good sign. As long as we have trust and open communication about expectations and a shared vision, I am open to it! I love to work with other local small businesses, but I’m also interested in working with a larger company and having the opportunity to share my work on a larger scale.
Do you have any dream collaborations that you'd like to share (I'm a believer of putting things out in the universe!)
Libby: I don't have a specific brand in mind, but I have always thought it would be fun to do some licensing, where I design something and a bigger company manufactures and sells it. It's hard to get your stuff out into the wider world sometimes like bigger companies can do. I just want more people to wear my jewelry :)
Meg: I would love to do a collab with the brand Noble! I am also a big fan of Patagonia, Golde, Big Bud Press, and Everyday Oil, I think it would be a lot of fun to do something with them. I am really open to collaborating, I just love sharing about natural dyes and working creatively with other folks who I align with around sustainable and ethical business practices and creating beautiful things!
As we gear up for Valentine’s Day I thought it was the perfect time to share one of the more bizarre, yet romantic, trends in antique jewelry: Georgian Lover’s Eyes. The first time I saw one and read about them I was instantly obsessed. This very short-lived fad in jewelry, popular between 1790-1820, is where someone had a miniature painting of one of their eyes made, set it in a piece of jewelry and then gifted it to a loved one. One story about the origin of this trend involves the 18th Century Prince of Wales and his lover Maria Fitzherbert. The Prince’s father, King Geroge III, refused to let him marry the widowed and Catholic Maria Fitzherbert. It is said that The Prince of Wales had a miniature portrait painted of his eye and gifted it to Maria as an anonymous love token so their affair could stay secret. The Lover’s Eye must’ve captured Ms. Fitzherbert’s heart because they were eventually (illegally) married.
While actual antique Lover’s Eyes are quite hard to come by, many modern artists are putting their own unique spin on the Georgian Era trend. Below are some of my favorite versions of Lover’s Eyes, both antique and modern.
A stunning example of a Georgian Era Lover's Eye- the pearls, the bow, the eye, I swoon
The work of modern artist Susannah Carson
Anzu Jewelry, which is coming to T&B soon!
Embroidered Lover's Eye brooch by Celeste Mogador
Georgian Era Lover's Eye Signet Ring from my personal collection. I wish I knew the story of the original owner of this eye.