The Less Designer Makes Us a Necklace and a Playlist
Yes, this edition comes with a soundtrack.
Albums from Alyssa’s collection.
In honor of her deep love of music—the jewelry wunderkind’s favorite pastimes include snapping pictures at friends’ shows and rocking out to the same songs she fell for at thirteen—Alyssa Lesser put together a playlist that represents the essence of her Of a Kind edition—download it here. Of her mix of glam-rock and post-punk tracks, chosen to reflect the necklace’s high/low versatility, she explains, “These songs should be listened to at full volume while dancing around your room, preferably in a giant T-shirt with your neighbors watching you through the window.” —maggie dolan
It’s key to see the rockin’ necklace behind the music, right? Well, it’s right over here…
1 - “You’re my Best Friend” by Queen
“I usually name my pieces after bands, and I named this necklace Mercury after Freddie Mercury. This song is really happy and a good to start any playlist.”
2 - “Mystic Lady” by T. Rex
“I love the space-age-y stuff that T. Rex and Bowie got into. I think about that a lot when I design jewelry. I feel like the stones I use can have a moon-rock vibe.”
3 - “Digital” by Joy Division
“I always dance around in my room to this. Ian Curtis and the whole look of the band is super inspiring to me.”
4 - “Summer Holiday” by Wild Nothing
“This is one of the only newer songs I have on the playlist. Wild Nothing sounds a bit like The Smiths with a slight Shoegaze-y feel. I like bands to be progressive, but I also like bands that sound like my favorite bands.”
5 - “Let’s Go to Bed” by The Cure
“This is the best song ever. At school, we listen to the Cure a lot when we work—well, a couple of us do until we get overruled with Lady Gaga, and then I leave the room.”
6 - “C30, C60, C90, Go!” by Bow Wow Wow
“I have named two necklaces after their singer, Annabelle Lwin. She was provocative and had loads of energy. The band’s music still sounds really modern even though it came out a while ago, which is cool. I want to make stuff that can last in the same way.”
7 - “Starman” by David Bowie
“He is my favorite artist ever. This song has these celestial qualities, and the necklace has a similar vibe. I picture Bowie wearing it with a silver lamé spandex jumpsuit with chest hair peaking out.”
8 - “Falling in Love with Myself Again” by Sparks
“This isn’t a glam song, but it sounds like one. I love how all the Sparks albums sound a bit different.”
9 - “I Just Don’t Know What to do With Myself” by The White Stripes
“I was going to put a Dusty Springfield song in here, but I killed two birds with one stone with this cover. The White Stripes are one of my favorite bands of all time. They are both amazing human beings.”
10 - “Sunday Girl” by Blondie
“Debbie Harry has definitely been one of my biggest style inspirations my whole life. She always had the best hair and could walk on stage in a T-shirt and underwear and look awesome.”
11 - “Femme Fatale” by Velvet Underground
“Andy Warhol! I love the color he used and the texture in his paintings. I loved how he put himself together and the aesthetics around him and his whole crew.”
12 - “Baby It’s You” by The Shirelles
“This is a good, mellow fade-out song. I love the simplicity and innocence of songs like this—they are so innocent that they almost aren’t innocent anymore.”
