One of my inspirations for jewelry is Tina Chow. I was just a kid when she was big. I actually found out about her through reading Grace Coddington’s autobiography, as Grace was friends with Michael Chow.
Tina was an original, for sure. Half German-American and half Japanese. She wasn’t complacent, even though she could have just coasted on her looks alone. She started making her own jewelry in the 70s. I love the architectural references, and the geometry in her art, and the way she used so many different kinds of media and made it work. I am sad to hear that she died from AIDS at the age of only 41. Her legacy lives on. I like to think some of my stuff is inspired by her unique vision.
