Meet: Ronni Kappos (California)
What drove you - or what was the inspiration behind starting your jewelry line?
It’s really my love of vintage glass beads that started my interest in jewelry design. In 1997, I went to a local bead store and discovered a small cache of vintage beads coming from Germany. It took me two years to track their history and find a direct connection to a bead supplier. Once I was able to buy quantity, I knew I wanted to start my business full time, which I did in 2002. Now, I travel directly to Germany and the Czech Republic to buy beads from old, defunct factories.
What inspires your creations/new designs?
I choose a theme twice a year and that inspires me to use my existing bead stock in new ways. I work with my twin sister and she creates a vision board based on the theme. Once I see those images and we discuss the feeling of the collection, it pushes me to create new shapes and innovations with my beads.
Where are you based and what are some of your favorite places there for shopping, coffee or eating/meeting with friends?
I live in Los Angeles, where I was born and raised. My neighborhood is Echo Park and I love shopping at a local, small grocery store called Cookbook. Cooking with fresh, seasonal ingredients is so important to me. My friends always meet at Café Stella for dinner or Sunday brunch. Proof in Atwater is a great bakery and has the best coffee. Across the street, you can have a falafel sandwich at Dune, which is so good – one of the best. For clothing, I like to shop at Individual Medley in Atwater, Lake in Silverlake, and Bird in Culver City.
What is something that people don’t usually know about you?
I’m an identical twin. My sister lives in New York and is a painter. Our work actually has a lot in common. She makes large graphic paintings that look a lot like the geometric shapes I create with the jewelry. We just finished a new fine jewelry line called “TWIN,” which we will be debuting this year. It’s meant to be a collaboration between my jewelry design and her painterly eye.
I also have a Scottish Fold named Sweet Bun. You can follow her on Instagram @mysweetbun. I often take breaks from production to walk her around the garden. She's a joy.