Deborah Pagani Redefines Art Deco

DEBORAH PAGANI’s charming pieces resemble horseshoes and pills, which are every bit sparkly, eclectic and beautiful as you can imagine. ‘American Made’ is something that is essential to her brand, says the designer whose Jewellery production is firmly established in her home city, New York. Deborah redesigns and decodes Art Deco silhouettes. Aesthetically, that translates into creations undeniably classical in their construct, and especially refreshing – inherently stylish with a modern twist.

- Smitha Sadanandan

She worked as a hair colourist for over a decade and, while in her job, she began designing jewellery. Despite being one of the highest paid colourists  under 30, Deborah left it all behind to follow her passion. Unfazed by her lack of formal training in jewellery making, Deborah, who had always been “creative and crazy about jewellery,” launched her own line – her first collection Cleopatra in the City. What helped was that when she first started out, there weren’t any young designers doing Art Deco-inspired contemporary jewellery. Her namesake brand was soon picked up by leading department stores in the US and found appeal with a new and growing audience. The rest, as they say, is history. 

Being a new designer on the block, you must have faced quite a few challenges. What life lessons did you learn along the way?

I had to face many challenges. Everyone has an opinion. I think you really have to take into consideration where advice is coming from. Don’t listen to people who you don’t admire or respect. Surround yourself with positive people and not people who are bitter, jaded or just miserable. It really drains your creative energy.

What inspires your life and design realm?