Jewelry Pick of the Day - The Gold Wood Woven Necklace

08/03/2009

We want people to be fine, fitting and flashy at all times. We believe that gold is the key to all of these things. All in all, WE LOVE GOOOOOOOOLD (and yes, we're saying it like Goldfinger in Austin Powers).

Sometimes, a woman doesn't want to be weighed down by the weight that beautiful gold or brass pieces cause after a long day's wear, so why not choose an option that is shiny, fabulous, lightweight and eco-friendly? Well, we've found the perfect way - introducing the Green Collection gold woven necklace!

Made from South American sustainable palm tree wood, this necklace is chunky, fashion-forward and perfect for your holiday season party, in a suit, or for your weekend out in your LBD. And it also weighs in well under one pound, so prepare to get your disco on!

This necklace will be ready for sale on the iram-inal website starting September 2009. For any questions about this product, contact us any time at sales@iraminal.com.

Taste of Central West End.... Fun, Lots of Sun, and the Best Customers EVER

June 15, 2009
This year, we had a booth for the second time at the Taste of Central West End Festival in the hip and happenin' CWE area of St. Louis.

I (Malene) drove into a horrendous and violent tornado-warning storm storm (what we like to call normal summer weather in the Midwest) while commuting from Atlanta to St. Louis for the festival. Because every radio station in ears-length was screaming out the fact that a tornado was on the ground - and that I was driving right into the heart of the storm at night - I surged on and did not let the rain dampen my spirits and hoped for a great weekend (okay, I'm completely lying... I was scared out of my mind)....

scary St. Louis weather (seriously, ya'll)

I had thoughts of turning around and stomping right back to lovely Atlanta (where we only have to worry about the heat wave), but persevered. I arrived safely in St. Louis two hours after my scheduled arrival time and kissed the ground when I arrived at Mari's house.

Mari did this festival by herself last year, and realized it was an extraordinarily busy event. With the success of last year, we decided to give it another go with the two of us this time around.

our booth at the festival

Despite the scary commute to St. Louis, the weather over the 2 and 1/2 day festival was FAB-U-LOUS, and the customers came out in droves. Admittedly, were placed in quite an odd area off the main drag of vendors, but were placed toward an exit area, which resulted in a great flow of buying customers.

standing room only!

Anyone who has ever worked a festival knows that it's a trying, tiring effort that that takes all the strength you can muster. This particular festival went from 11am to 11pm every night, so we needed help just to make it throughout the day. We're thankful to have wonderful friends and family who are always willing to stop by and help. Big "ooo-ooooh's!" and hugs to our mama and great friends, Mike, Cara and Liz. We can't thank you enough.

We also had the pleasure of neighboring with a fellow jewelry designer named Melissa. Her jewelry was also chunky and funky, and she had a good weekend overall. Spending time with her and her parents was great fun.

our beautiful mama modeling our necklace and ring

the brains and the brawn for the weekend, our friend, Mike

our booth neighbor and fellow jewelry designer, Melissa

The biggest advantage of doing festivals is that we get to meet our buyers in person. There's no better test of your product and marketing efforts than seeing how your own product presents itself in the face of the potential buyer.

I'm proud - and unabashed - to say that our customers are the BEST new business owners could ask for... they're always honest in their assessment of our new designs, and are happy to give recommendations (and plenty of compliments) on our lines as a whole.

As it says in the liner of this entry, we also have the most fly and cutest customers ever! From indie, to sophisticated, to conservative, we create designs that look great on all. The best part?

Our oh-so-cool customers allow us to take photos of them wearing their purchases! If ever you visit our website - http://www.iidesigns.com/ - and are unsure whether or necklaces will fit right on your frame, or whether they're too big for you, just take a look at these lovely ladies wearing some of our creations:

yellow jade woven necklace

rust recycled palm wood woven necklace

green recycled palm wood double woven necklace

gray agate slab single strand necklace

It was a fantastic festival full of great music, great food, and great people. We look forward to seeing you all next year!

friends of iram-inal - Talking to Amy Leff of Throwing Stars Jewelry

June 22, 2008

Today I met a wonderful fellow designer with a brilliant line of jewelry called Throwing Stars Jewelry. http://www.throwingstarsjewelry.com/

I loved her jewelry creations so much that I decided to share some photos of her work with all of you. The beautiful designs are hand-hammered and soldered by Amy, are made from sterling silver and gold-filled wire, and are often enhanced by faceted gemstones.

Earrings from Amy's current line of designs

Amy's model wearing a current collection necklace

Model wearing earrings and lariat from the current collection

You can find her wonderful line in several trendy boutiques around Atlanta, Georgia, including the Beehive Co-op. http://www.beehiveco-op.com/, and on her website.

Boutique Announcement - iram-inal designs at DEKKA in July 2008

iram-inal designs is so pleased to announce that we will be feature artists at one of Washington D.C.'s best new boutiques and showrooms, DEKKA (phonetic spelling for DCA - "D.C. Area").

Located in the hot and happening U-Street Corridor, this boutique is the concept of husband and wife owners, Josh and Luciana Tiktin, a designer and artist, whose own apparel line and music are featured in the store. iram-inal will premiere our line at the showroom in July 2008.



Dekka is more than your regular boutique: It is D.C.'s first and only co-op featuring music, fashion and art. It has been described as the perfect haven for the trendy person in search of unique fashions, creative art, and local music, all in close proximity.

Dekka is also a showroom for its 10-15 designers it houses within its walls. While always open to retail purchases, wholesale orders may also be made directly from the designers at the retail location.

Dekka had a glorious grand opening last April, and have had such great success that they're expanding to include more designers by opening up another floor in their boutique.

You may find more information about DEKKA at their website - http://www.dcafam.com/, and may visit their retail location at 1338 U Street NW, 2nd Floor, Washington, D.C.

Hey, You! were you looking for FABULOUS jewelry? Welcome to iram-inal designs

Welcome to the blog for iram-inal designs. A line of chunky, funky jewelry created in late 2007 by sister-duo Mari and Malene ("Lani") Davis, we describe ourselves as always being "sisters on a mission to create delicious designs." If you are a person who loves to make a statement and loves fashion, our line is for you. From time to time, we will update our blog to give you more information on the happenings of iid as we expand and grow.

Check in frequently for information on the great new boutiques and galleries that carry our line, as well as art festivals and fairs where we will be selling our new designs.

We are two ladies who love fashion and our planet, and for that reason, try to use recycled and repurposed materials in our designs whenever possible. Generally, our line is made from semi-precious stones, recycled woods, repurposed brass pieces, and silver/gold-filled and plated findings.

It's our mission to create the most audacious, creative designs, but at the most affordable prices. Chunky, funky and bold year-around, iram-inal designs is your one-stop-shop for that "something special" that you are unable to find anywhere else. Always feel free to contact us at sales@iraminal.com just to say hello, for information on our line, or to place custom orders.

Thank you for your interest and patronage, and check in frequently for updates! http://www.iidesigns.com/