Name: Tiffany Thomas
Age: 33
Location: New Delhi, India
Education: Architecture degree from University of Colorado, Boulder
Job Title: Founder and designer of Tiffany Thomas jewelry
What She Does: Tiffany is the jewelry designer behind her self-titled company, Tiffany Thomas. Her pieces incorporate handpicked semiprecious stones, and engage the idea that jewelry is a means of self-expression. Tiffany launched her company in the U.S. but now lives and designs her pieces in India so that she can take a hands-on role in sourcing the materials and finding manufacturers that use handmade methods rather than mass production. Most recently, she’s begun researching and designing a functional-luxury fashion-leather and faux-leather collection of men’s and women’s wallets, jackets, handbags, clutches, and belts that will debut this fall at select trade shows.
How She Got Her Gig: Tiffany has always kept involved in the art scene, whether as a professional makeup artist or henna tattoo artist. While studying at the University of Colorado, she started teaching jewelry design and henna tattooing, and in doing so, discovered a talent for making jewelry. A few months latter, she had completed her first collection and made a name for herself by peddling her jewelry designs from store to store along the West Coast. “My main focus was how to design and produce a luxury item, because I wanted to set myself apart from the mass-produced items in the fashion industry,” she says.
Around-the-Clock Fashion: While she works, Tiffany always keeps fashion television on her set to stay current on industry trends. She also receives daily e-mail updates from Women’s Wear Daily and buys and reads as many fashion-focused magazines as possible.
Most Memorable Moment: For Tiffany, selling her first collection to a high-end boutique beats out every other memorable moment in her career. “The buyer looked at my nervously laid-out jewelry and said, ‘We’ll buy them all,’” she recalls. “I was so shocked from that day, I actually believed in my dreams coming true.”
The Sale’s the Thing: Early on, Tiffany learned that her tendency to make quick design decisions didn’t always pay off—literally. Some of the designs she loved just didn’t sell. To combat this, she watches trends more closely and does more sketching and model-making to help her create amazingly beautiful designs that sell.
This Job’s for You if: You’re ready and willing to start as an intern to slowly and surely advance your design knowledge with tangible experiences. Tiffany also names flexibility and a willingness to take risks as key attributes in the field. “In any field, you have to take risks to earn profit, and adventure is a must as it gives your life a story,” she says.
