Noir Jewelry

Imani Waddy

Leeora Catalan’s collection of D.C. Comics-inspired jewelry

By Kristina Dmitrieva

I worked in production, design, on shoots. It was the best schooling you could ever imagine.

Leeora Catalan’s career as a jewelry designer came about somewhat accidentally. Her noir jewelry line was born when, while working as a stylist, she was called on to produce a set of bead necklaces in a pinch. Catalan constructed the necklaces from scratch, caught the eye of the folks at Italian Vogue, and things have snowballed nicely from there.

Most recently, Catalan has produced a collection of jewelry pieces inspired by D.C. Comics superheroes. It’s a pairing that matches Catalan’s feisty innovation with some hefty brand equity for pieces that boast a super-powered swagger. We asked Catalan about the collection, her history in the biz and what it’s like to see your jewelry on Katy Perry.

Bunker Hill: Did you always have a passion for jewelry?

Leeora Catalan: Yes, I have been collecting jewelry since I was a teenager. My mom collected costume jewelry, so it must be genetic. I’ve always been drawn to cocktail rings, and ë70s pieces specifically.

Bunker Hill: You started your career at Ralph Lauren and Oscar De La Renta. What were your positions at those firms?

Leeora Catalan: At Ralph I was everywhere. It was my first job out of school. I worked in production, design, on shoots. It was the best schooling you could ever imagine.  At Oscar tI worked for his secondary line as an Assistant Designer.

Bunker Hill:How did you transition from being a fashion stylist into becoming a jewelry designer?

Leeora Catalan: While working as a stylist for a fashion show, I needed to find jet bead necklaces. I couldn’t find any in the market, so I made them. After the show I was approached by a department store wanting to place an order and Italian Vogue wanted to shoot them. Thatís actually how we got the name Noir as well! Noir is “black” in French.

Bunker Hill: How did the idea of “Fig the Flying Pig,” worn by Katy Perry, come to life?

Leeora Catalan:I have random ideas all the time. It’s part of our novelty animal collection. I feel like people think I’m insane sometimes when they look at the line.

Bunker Hill:How did you come up with an idea to design a collection for DC Comic?

Leeora Catalan: I have these three large glass doors in my house; I also have three kids. They each get their own panel to decorate with stickers and be creative. I noticed that they were mostly filled with super heroes and the idea just came to me. I wanted to make super hero/heroines into high-end jewelry.

Bunker Hill:What was the most challenging point in your fifteen-year career?

Leeora Catalan:I can’t really think of one challenge specifically. Everyday there are lots of challenges when you own your business. It’s just part of everyday life.

Bunker Hill:What should we except to see in the future collections?

Leeora Catalan: More fun collaborations!

 

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