Welcome back lovers! Today’s guest is one of our more inherently romantic guests and that is not just because she makes rings that are the stuff of my Pinterest engagement ring board’s wildest dreams (I digress): in addition to being an unbelievably talented jeweler and metalsmith, Issa is a mother to beautiful baby boy, and the tenderness of the time spent with him over the past year has helped her put into perspective not just the value of the material result of her work and the precious metals and jewels that are used for them, but the value of an artist’s time.
In our very long sprawling conversation which covered everything from having a brick and mortar studio and store to our shared love and tenderness for Miami, we also spent a lot of time discussing how easy it is for an artist to forget what they relinquish to make their art. Issa is a student of the artistic process of not wholly embracing a set “process” : creativity to Issa is an everflowing stream that is always running throughout her days, her nights, her dreams and any moment (idle or not). What comes from this kind of artistic practice is truly organic work that resonates so deeply with those who see it; creating precious objects that contain her love will one day contain the love of who she makes it for. It makes total sense that some of her references include Solange Knowles, Cawley Studio, ZN Ali, Hugh Hayden, Studio Mantel, Georgia O’Keefe.
In addition to being a stunning and singular artist, Issa also happens to have a beautiful personal style, which was what led me to her to begin with. Her sharing that style with her darling son Romeu is what led to her viral post through which a new audience was able to discover her beautiful jewelry and objects.
But if she had to wear one outfit for the rest of her life it would be:
A wool/silk/cotton scarf or shawl: it can be a dress, a top, a skirt, dressed up or down, a blanket for her son. She also goes for a button-down of the silk or cotton variety, a good pair of sunglasses, and jewelry (which she would feel naked without).
And her essentials are:
Scarves (obviously)
Family time
Moka Alessi espresso maker
Rose water
Daily walks
You can find Issa on Instagram, TikTok, and her beautiful work here. xx
