Hot New Jewelry Designers Reveal Their Sisterly Style Secrets

Turns out, sisters Phoebe and Annette Stephens are the young visionaries behind the collection that launched just this past spring. And not only do they conceive all their handcrafted pieces alongside a local artisan in Mexico City, they also wear their work well...very well. In fact, the two have just that sort of unconventionally inspiring style we pretty much go nuts for. Just take a peek inside their Gramercy Park apartment. Surrounded by objects, artworks, and storied keepsakes from their Mexico City upbringing as well as their famed artist-sculptor grandmother, Annette Nancarrow, the pair have created a transporting world in which to design their European, Egyptian, and Bedouin-inspired jewels. And yes, live and play dress-up, too.

We know your grandmother was a great artist and designer. What or who else inspired you to start your own line?  Phoebe: "We grew up in Mexico City in a family surrounded by artists. We were always encouraged to be creative. As the only girls in a family of five, we wanted to do something together."
Annette: "Yes, our grandmother was a painter in Mexico during the '30s and '40s, and she also designed her own jewelry. She had an amazing studio in Mexico City filled with pre-Columbian figures, beads, feathers, and bones. So, we wanted to combine our love of fashion and visual arts to make a new collection that followed in her footsteps." 

Each piece really reveals the rusticity and work behind the design. What's your process all about?
Annette: "It's been very organic. One of us will start with a drawing, and the other will finish or add to it. We then work very closely with an artisan in Mexico who hand-makes our pieces in a workshop. As we work, we modify our pieces on the body to achieve balance and composition. For our first collection, we took inspiration from art books, antique jewelry, architecture, street-wear, and a recent trip to Japan."

Who would you say this first collection was intended for?
Phoebe: "A woman who is in a seductive relationship with herself...the empowered woman of today."

Your pieces often feel as though there is a journey that goes along with them...what would you say are the key inspirations when you're thinking about sketches?
Annette: "A lot of our inspiration is drawn from antique jewelry, art and architecture—although it's not intentional, we love the idea that something we are creating now is building its own history."

If your designs had a human equivalent, who would they be?
Phoebe: "The lovechild of Iris Apfel and Tilda Swinton."

You're both into fashion as well. Which designers would you say inform your work and your own styles? 
Annette: "Again, our grandmother and designers like Calder, Art Smith, Coco Chanel, Matthew Ames, Yves Saint Laurent, and Alber Elbaz."
I could definitely see your necklaces on Alber's runway.

Describe your style...
Annette: "La Dolce Vita if it was remade by Yohji Yamamoto."
Phoebe: "I would have to agree!"

Tell us your five key wardrobe pieces?
Phoebe: "A vintage Lanvin suit, a YSL vest, Gaultier pants, a Givenchy ruffled top, and an Electric Feathers poncho dress."
Annette: "My vintage Armani jacket, Bottega Veneta pants, Margiela strappy heels, Norma Kamali dress, and a Limi Feu top."

Our signature question: What song best describes your personal style?
Phoebe: "'Chauffeur' by Duran Duran or 'Come As Your Are' by Nirvana." Annette: "'Sugar Me' by Lynsey De Paul and 'Cause an Effect' by No Fixed Abode."

Any cheap finds of late?
Annette: "We found a pair of Calvin Klein brogues and a beautiful hooded red cape at the vintage store Metropolis."

Good thing they like to share.