Two years ago, I was set up for what turned out to be a very slow Madewell pop-up on the day of the Washington, DC Pride Parade. Surprise, surprise—no one on 14th Street that day was interested in shopping. But while I was standing around looking out the shop window, I got to do some amazing people-watching. There were also a lot of folks setting up Pride merch stations guerrilla-style on the sidewalk. The merch, while cute, was mostly cheap, mass-produced stuff.
I started wondering what else was available on the market for Pride-inspired jewelry that was thoughtfully designed and manufactured. What I mostly found were either cheap, mass-produced pieces or very high-end fine jewelry utilizing a rainbow of colored gemstones—but almost nothing in between. At the time, I was already making my Arco Collection, which uses a rainbow motif in necklaces, earrings, and keychains. But I then started thinking about the Progress Pride Flag and how its geometry could still make a striking statement in metal—even without the colors.
The Progress Pride Flag was designed by artist Daniel Quasar in 2018 to include colors representing the trans community, people of color, and those who are living with or have lost their lives to HIV/AIDS. The chevron arrow pointing to the right signifies that while progress has been made, there is still more work to do.
When I found out that my city would be hosting this year’s World Pride celebrations, I knew it was the right time to produce the pendant I had been thinking about since that day at the Madewell pop-up. Blending my geometric wax carving style with the pattern of the flag felt like a perfect fit. I believe the resulting pendant retains the artistic integrity of the original design while becoming a beautiful piece of jewelry, perfect for everyday wear.
