Pop-up shop darling Karen La never intended to be a jewelry designer.
The Broken Promises founder studied fine art at UBC, but a stint at a “cheesy” tourist shop in Gastown inspired her to rethink her career path.
“It was really slow in the off-season, so our boss would get us to make beaded jewelry,” she recalls with a smile.
La enjoyed working on the smaller scale, so she enrolled in a beginner silversmithing class at Mountain Gems. She didn’t make use of her new skill, however, until about three years ago, when a friend invited her to take part in a Christmas pop-up at Nouvelle Nouvelle.
“She was like, ‘Make something!” La says. “For a month I didn’t know what I was going to make, and then I realized I know how to make jewelry.”
She whipped up her first collection – a stunning series of geometric brass cutouts – which began a love affair with shapes that is a reoccurring theme in her work. The rings and necklaces were so popular, that the owner asked her to leave the remaining pieces at the store to sell.
Now La splits her time between Broken Promises (a name her boyfriend cheekily suggested), and designing for a high-profile local artist.
And despite excellent programs like the Jewelry Art and Design program at Vancouver Community College churning out potential competition in vast numbers, La cheerily adds that it’s actually more of a scene.
“It’s super inclusive. Like a really fun little club,” she laughs, adding that she and her studiomates regularly have unofficial “jewellers meetings” at 33 Acres down the street.
La will be the featured jewelry designer at Hey Jude’s fall vintage clothing pop-up at 196 Kingsway starting Oct. 8. The pop-up will run for the next 11 weeks.
