Q&A | Rachel Loren

Meet Rachel Loren, one of the creative forces behind Loren Stewart, an L.A.-based jeweler‚ just recently picked up by Barneys. I've been wearing Loren Stewart earrings uninterrupted for at least three years, so I jumped at the chance to visit her studio in Mount Washington this morning.

I was expecting a great space, but I was totally blown away by her studio in a yurt. Need a yurt. Need a yurt. Need a yurt!

Her home, called "The Terraces" was built in 1910 for the then Governor of New Mexico as a summer house. A century later she shares the property with four chickens, three kids, her husband, and her brother Sammy—who directed this crazy-good video showcasing the latest from Loren Stewart. I took some shots of the jewelry today, but this video really captures it much better than my camera.

Rachel was kind enough to also oblige with a Q&A:

If not in Los Angeles, I would live in...Tahoe or Boulder.

My dream holiday would be to...take my family to a remote island, somewhere like Fiji and live in a “bures” (those cute little cabins) along the real “Blue Lagoon.”

My current obsessions are...

Food: Korean BBQ at The Corner Place in K-town,  their signature dish is Dong Chi Mi Gook Soo, a cold noodle soup that is deliciously refreshing.

Music: The Notorious B.I.G. and Beastie Boys—I don’t feel as lame driving a mini van when it’s cranking.

Retail Stores: To me, Barneys New York has always been the holy grail of luxury fashion, so to have my line there is pretty exciting. It’s amazing to see the display at Barneys Co-Op, or to look online and see my pieces next to so many brands that I admire. On the other end of the spectrum, I’m also still into thrift shopping, especially when I go home to Kansas; it’s gratifying to discover an old treasure. 

Fashion: High tops (new pair are black Jordans), t-shirts (the older the better), and I’m into boots – motorcycle, cowboy, Isabel Marant dickers. They must be tough, cute, and comfortable.

I channel my childhood self when I...eat Doritos, Pringles and Little Debbies. They are so bad, but so good.

The fictional character I most relate to is...Shoshana in Girls, I was a late bloomer in some ways.

If I had to be outdoors all day I would...have a water fight with my kids and lay in the sun reading fashion magazines.

My favorite quality in a man is...sensitivity.

My favorite quality in a woman is...sincerity.

I'm terrified of...being in an earthquake and losing my glasses and not being able to see. I have some five pairs in various places around the house (thank goodness for Warby Parker). And something bad happening to my kids, like being lost or kidnapped. Makes me sick to think about it!

My dream car is a...1970s buttercup yellow Mercedes convertible.

My cocktail of choice is...La Crème Pinot Noir, or any specialty cocktail at Comme Ça.

My celebrity crush is...Bret from Flight of the Conchords.

My beauty product of choice is...Vitamin E oil, it’s so multi-functional, I use it as moisturizer, lip gloss, hair smoother, eye shimmer, it has endless potential, especially when options are limited.

My friends and I like to...go glamping at El Capitan, try new restaurants, and chill out in a hot tub.

If I could go back in time for one decade it would be...The Roaring 20s. It would be exciting to live through dramatic political change as a woman, and also the “garçonne” flapper style is undeniably cool.

As a teenager I was totally into...re-constructing clothes, re-arranging my room, and sneaking out my window anytime I could get away with it.

I tend to splurge on...cheese and olives at the Silverlake Cheese Store.

The fact that I take baths but will wear the same dirty outfit, am an “urban farmer” with chickens, and have a general low-maintenance approach to life...is what makes me have Tomboy Style.