Erica Weiner

Erica Weiner crafted her first piece of jewelry in her Lower East Side studio apartment on a whim. At the time, the art history grad was working in the fashion industry, and the haphazardly constructed necklace, a vintage chain adorned with a chunky key charm and feathers, caught the eye of colleagues when she wore it during fashion week. Five years later, in November of 2010, she moved into a small, refurbished storage space in Soho, her first storefront, and filled it with art deco furniture, antique books, and hardware store signage. 90 percent of her handmade jewelry includes vintage components that she culls from a range of curious locations—taxidermy catalogues, museum dealers, and even, on one occasion, a mystery box purchased from a farmer in rural Maine. Her original creations, which include a necklace with a charm cast from a hummingbird skull, a brass harmonica pendant, and earrings made from 1970s YSL enamel zipper pulls, have a playful, antique aesthetic. She also offers original vintage jewelry and accessories like brass disco necklaces, sixties name bracelets, antique diamond engagement rings and twenties lingerie clips (in the original packaging, of course). — Alexa Tsoulis-Reay