Stephanie Schwallie // CASTLECLIFF
Stephanie Schwallie brought the iconic costume jewelry brand CASTLECLIFF back to life. Here, she talks to us about how she fell in love with the brand and its history, as well as how she is working to make it a vibrant and sustainable jewelry brand today.
Coral and Turquoise Earrings: Lawrence Vrba, Studs: PLUME, Necklace: PLUME, Diamond Ring: BOUDOV, Bar Signet Ring: Erin Claus.
Jewelry designer Stephanie Schwallie has gone down a seriously inspiring career path. After designing some majorly cool jewelry at some big brands in New York, she relaunched the CASTLECLIFF brand in 2017. The brand has a rich history: it got its start in at the beginning of the 20th century, began producing colorful and vibrant costume jewelry in the 1940’s, and then closed its doors in the mid 70’s. Stephanie is picking up where the brand left off, designing new pieces with a 70’s vibe, using vintage poured glass stones and and reclaimed chains that she sources from different warehouses around the country to try to limit waste. She’s also refinishing deadstock vintage earrings from the 1960’s.
I photographed her in her beautiful home and studio in Gowanus, Brooklyn.
Tell me a bit about yourself. Where did you grow up, where did you study, when did you come to New York, where have you settled?
Hi, I’m Stephanie, the Creative Director of CASTLECLIFF jewelry. I mostly grew up in the midwest, with a few of my formative years spent in the Arizona desert. I studied at the Cleveland Institute of Art, with an original plan of focusing on film but I quickly fell in love with the craft world and have been making objects ever since. I always knew I would live in NYC, and have been in the city for almost 15 years, the past decade in Gowanus, Brooklyn. I love this neighborhood because of it’s a great mix of artists spaces and manufacturers, but still has a neighborhood-y vibe. I love the city but I often escape to the desert to visit family and cactus.
How did you become a jewelry designer? Where have you worked?
I took a jewelry elective my second year of college and I was immediately hooked; the torches, the hammers, the kilns! After that first class I spent the rest of my college days pretty much living in the metals department of CIA. My first introduction to the world of costume jewelry was through an internship at Juicy Couture; In the mid 2000’s they were still in the heyday of track suits and charm bracelets and I got to help design some of the charms that year. I’ve been lucky to work with some amazing designers throughout my career; from heading up Vera Wang’s private label line at my first job, to working in Isaac Mizrahi’s gorgeous west side studio and getting to create some truly epic pieces for his runway shows, to working under Jenna Lyons at J.Crew in the era of layering jewels on top of jewels on top of cardigans. I was last heading up Fashion Jewelry at Stella & Dot before striking out on my own and relaunching CASTLECLIFF. I guess bright and bold costume jewelry has been a theme throughout my career.
Vintage CASTLECLIFF.
Tell me about CASTLECLIFF – where the brand started, and how you now see it. When did you re-launch the brand, and why?
After over a decade of regular travel to jewelry factories throughout Asia, the visible toll of mass production and resulting pollution from the jewelry industry really started to weigh me down. I didn’t want to be a part of it anymore. I love designing jewelry but I greatly missed the actual process of making, and I really wanted to focus on putting thoughtful, well designed pieces into the world that were made in a sustainable way. CASTLECLIFF has been one of my favorite vintage brands to collect for years, and after researching their NYC history things started to fall into place.
CASTLECLIFF was established in 1918 and began producing jewelry in NYC in the 1940’s in the heyday of American made costume jewelry. There have been some amazingly talented Head Designers at the company throughout the years, most recently Larry Vrba in the 1970s who (is my personal hero, and) created some of the most collected and coveted jewelry in CASTLECLIFF’s history. Sadly, the brand shuttered its doors in the mid 1970’s, when China trade laws opened up and most US jewelry manufacturing moved overseas in search of cheaper labor. After being abandoned for decades it felt like the right time to bring this brand back to life; manufacturing exclusively in NYC, paying artisans living wages and using poured glass stones from the 1950’s and 60’s were part of CASTLECLIFF’s brand identity from the start and are what makes CASTLECLIFF a sustainable costume jewelry company today.
CASTLECLIFF is something bigger than me and I’m grateful to be a part of this great company’s history. Every season I hope I make the brand proud.
Coral and Turquoise Earrings: Lawrence Vrba, Studs: PLUME, Necklace: PLUME, Diamond Ring: BOUDOV, Bar Signet Ring: Erin Claus.
Who is the kind of woman who wears CASTLECLIFF jewelry?
CASTLECLIFF is for any woman who loves jewelry! I like to think of CASTLECLIFF’s current assortment as the eclectic and curated collection of a well-traveled woman. I hope each piece is timeless and versatile and becomes a unique addition to anyone's personal collection, like a piece of heirloom jewelry passed down or a one of a kind flea market find.
Who would you like to have as a client?
Diana Vreeland, Millicent Rogers and Barbara Berger.
Earrings: CASTLECLIFF Ilse Earrings, Studs: PLUME, Necklace: PLUME, Diamond Ring: BOUDOV, Bar Signet Ring: Erin Claus, Bracelets: Vintage CASTLECLIFF, vintage Kenneth Jay Lane.
Do you have any amazing tips on how to store jewelry?
I should say always clean your jewelry, and store it in an airtight container away from moisture and any perfumes and whatnot. But I have jewelry everywhere in my home and I love it. Well-made costume Jewelry is a work of art - I love displaying giant crystal brooches in shadow boxes, hanging pendants on the wall and seeing all my favorite earrings out on my dresser. My only rule is keep them out of the bathroom!
How about keeping it clean and looking brand new?
All of our new CASTLECLIFF pieces are made from unplated recycled brass (most plating is terrible for the environment!) so they will tarnish over time. Polishing cloths are the easiest and best way to keep our pieces clean….they require a little extra maintenance, but the color will never fade or wear away to a silvery base metal like most inexpensive costume jewelry. If I’ve neglected a piece for a while, a little soak in white vinegar gets them sparkling again. For my vintage jewelry I usually like to avoid any deep cleaning unless they’re really a mess…you can’t ever recreate the beautiful patina of 50 years of wear!
Senita Necklace: CASTLECLIFF, Necklace: PLUME, Earrings: PLUME, Tri-Blossom Ring: CASTLECLIFF, Diamond Ring: BOUDOV, Bar Signet Ring: Erin Claus, Bracelets: Wave Link Bracelet: CASTLECLIFF, Brutalist Cuff: Vintage Silvana.
And what about you, in your personal life? How would you describe your jewelry style?
Eclectic! I love wearing minimal jewelry one day, then giant kooky earrings the next. I think jewelry is such an easy and fun way to play with your personal style without much risk. I’m too shy to wear something like a bold printed maxi dress out into the world but I won’t hesitate to throw on an oversized Egyptian revival pendant and a few giant bangles and stroll out the door.
What jewelry do you wear on a regular day?
There are a few pieces I never take off: a mix of small Geo Stud Earrings and my Gold Pave necklace, both PLUME, designed by my dear friend Pamela, a small engraved ring from my friend, and recently my Boudov diamond ring. After that I'm almost always wearing a CASTLECLIFF piece, but it varies from my go to Ray or Imogen Earrings and a single cuff, to one of our oversized 1970s pendants or a colorful statement earring. On a regular day I usually like to strike a balance between my clothing and my accessories…the more simple the clothing, the more bold the jewels can be!
Senita Necklace: CASTLECLIFF, Necklace: PLUME, Earrings: PLUME, Tri-Blossom Ring: CASTLECLIFF, Diamond Ring: BOUDOV, Bar Signet Ring: Erin Claus, Bracelets: Wave Link Bracelet: CASTLECLIFF, Brutalist Cuff: Vintage Silvana.
On a special occasion?
Since I wear bold jewelry so often and so casually, I feel like I really need to step it up on special occasions! I’ll almost always gravitate towards sparkle and color. My go-to is to dress up a LBD with my massive Vrba coral and crystal chandelier earrings. I love how the right accessory can really add a wow factor without ever making you feel overdressed…
Do you have a philosophy on how to accessorize? Do you plan the clothes first or the accessories first?
Hmm. I never thought about it but I almost never plan around accessories! I usually dress for the day and then scan my collection of jewelry for whatever feels right. A lot of my clothes are simple without a lot of pattern or fussy neckline, so the jewelry possibilities are endless! I love how the same outfit or dress can be completely transformed again and again just by the accessories you layer it with. Sometimes I’ll change my jewelry throughout the day as well… with so much jewelry in my world there's almost always a pair of earrings floating around in my purse!
What are your go-to jewelry brands? Do you find yourself only wearing your own work?
I’m pretty much always wearing my own jewelry, something vintage, or something from PLUME. CASTLECLIFF has been one of my favorite brands for years so I’ve built up quite a collection of vintage pieces (obviously!) but I also have a lot of Kenneth Jay Lane Jewelry from the 1960s and 70’s, and newer Lawrence Vrba pieces in my collection. I also really love and am inspired by Brutalist Jewelry, and often artisan vintage pieces in with my newer CASTLECLIFF pieces.
What is the most special piece of jewelry you own and why?
Om my! It's so hard to choose...
I would probably say the most special piece of jewelry I own is my grandmother’s sterling charm bracelet. I love how all vintage costume jewelry has a story to tell about its previous owners, but this piece is literally a diary of her life through charms. A cactus for her first trip out west in the late 1930’s, a tiny ring box that opens from her engagement in the 40’s…every link is packed and it's really a physical representation of how full and adventurous her life was.
A close second is a Kenneth Jay Lane clamper bracelet. It's one of the simpler pieces in my collection but my dear friend gave it to me as a “friendship bracelet” very early in our friendship and it was then I knew we were kindred spirits. It has since become one of my most prized possessions.
You mentioned that when you were working for other brands, you missed the actual process of making. What is it about sitting at the jeweler's bench and working with your hands that is important to you?
I love drawing, and am always sketching out new ideas and silhouettes for the line. But for me, the process of making my jewelry by hand is what really allows each piece to evolve into something unique and unexpected. When I’m working in my studio I love that the availability of the materials in front of me become part of the design process, and silhouettes will evolve as I try on pieces and trouble shoot as I create. I think some of my favorite pieces in the line have been either happy accidents in the creative process or emerged from a collage of ideas I had on my bench in that moment.
Tell me about your creative process. Where does your inspiration come from, and how to you use it to make your new CASTLECLIFF pieces?
I’m constantly creating new shapes and silhouettes I want to add to the line, mostly drawing on ancient artifacts and 1970’s brutalist jewelry I’ve collected over the years, but my main source of inspiration comes from traveling. The pieces I’m working on at the time always seem to come together and really click when I step away from the studio, often in unexpected places. An impromptu road trip through New Mexico inspired our Petroglyph Collection, and our Lumen Collection came together when I stumbled upon a small exhibition at the National Museum of Scotland on a layover. I usually can’t wait to get back the studio to do more research and create.
A friend and I took a day trip to a seaside town outside of London last summer and it became the inspiration for our new spring collection (that I’m excited to launch next week!). We happened upon the Shell Grotto while there, this mysterious, shell encrusted underground series of tunnels and alters - no one knows when or why it was created. I became transfixed by this magical space and the pieces in our Margate Collection draw on the shells and radiating shapes repeated throughout the Shell Grotto’s mosaics.
Stephanie holding one of Larry Vrba’s “Kissing Indians” pendants from the 1970’s.
Can you tell me a story about a time when you discovered an amazing piece (either at a store, flea market, your mom’s closet)? Tell me about the hunt.
My most epic flea market find would have to be the first time I discovered a CASTLECLIFF piece. I was on my first inspiration trip to the Brimfield Flea Market for work many years ago, and it was miserable and rainy and cold but I was in heaven surrounded by so much jewelry! We came across one of Larry Vrba’s “Kissing Indians” pendants from the 1970’s and I had never seen one in person before…the scale, the stones…gah! I of course couldn’t afford it at the time but we bought it as an inspiration sample for the season and it spent the next few years on the bulletin board of my desk or around my neck at the office. I suppose my quest to build my personal CASTLECLIFF collection started from there.
Thank you so much, Stephanie!
