When Clarissa, my cousin from Nebraska, reached out to me in December with a proposal to collaborate on a project, I immediately loved the idea and opportunity. Clarissa owns Broken Horse Designs, a jewelry company based in Nebraska that specializes in sourcing ethical gemstones and has a strong passion for silversmithing and antique shopping. She describes her artistic journey as a fusion of her love for silversmithing and her fascination with vintage and antique horse bridle bits, which she avidly collects.
Given our shared family background and mutual interests in antique shopping and jewelry making, it felt natural for us to collaborate. Despite the geographical distance between us—I'm based in the urban metropolis of Austin, TX, while Clarissa operates out of rural Nebraska—the overlap in our roots, particularly our connection to ranch life, fueled our collaboration.
With Austin's year-round celebration of Western wear and Clarissa's expertise in silversmithing, we decided to focus our collaboration on creating bolo ties.
As jewelers, we both have amassed collections of natural stones from our travels, which served as the foundation for our project. Once we tackled this endeavor, we delved into our personal collections and began sketching designs.
Over the course of two months, we meticulously curated the best styles, selected high-quality leather ties, and sought to achieve a harmonious blend of feminine and masculine aesthetics. Our goal was to offer a range of bolo tie designs that would feature unique color choices and styles previously unseen in the market.
To fully capture our vision for our project, we collaborated with Jordan Petsey, the owner of Studio Lavoo.
For our location shoot, we chose Lockhart, TX, a popular filming location for many Texas-based movies such as "Bernie" (2011), "Transformers IV" (2014), and "Love and Death" (2021).
Coordinating a fashion shoot is always a mix of excitement and chaos, and this one was no exception. Despite stormy weather and muddy conditions, we managed to pull everything together.
Models Maliabo Diamba and Maria Cevedo brought their best to breathe life into our vision.
The styling, led by Loriza Ibarra and myself, included pieces from both my personal wardrobe and selections from Pecos, a carefully curated vintage store in Austin, TX. This collaboration helped reinforce the idea that western fashion has a timeless appeal and is an enduring part of our cultural heritage.
This project not only showcased our individual talents but also underscored the power of collaboration in bringing creative visions to fruition.
As we reflect on the time, passion, and effort dedicated to our designs and creativity, we are reminded of the beauty found in blending tradition with innovation. We eagerly anticipate sharing our team’s art and vision with the world.
Daniela Janette's x Broken Horse Design is a family-owned venture bridging two worlds into one. Each piece is meticulously designed with care and crafted from genuine sterling silver, natural stones, and authentic leather. Made-to-order, our creations are mindful of the footprint we leave on this world, and 1% of our sales will be donated to The American Hippotherapy Association.
Our first release of bolo ties will be available in early April 2024.
We look forward to unveiling more designs in the future.
We hope you love!
-Daniela & Clarissa
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