Foe and Dear - Katherine Schlattman

How and when you got into the trade?

It was a very curvy and windy path to becoming a jewelry designer. Creating jewelry has always been a part of my life so there isn't a firm start date. It started as collecting rocks, making friendship bracelets, and wire wrapping found shells, beads, and other objects as a young kid. Creating jewelry for family and friends remained a hobby well into my university years at Ryerson (Fashion Design grad). The original plan with my degree was to become an independent Fashion Designer, but the start-up costs for a young grad who had student debt and found herself living in one of Canada's most expensive cities made it near impossible to create anything from scratch. Fast forward - a few years go by of saving money by working in restaurants/bars/retail which allowed me to move to New York, where I had interned with a jewelry designer that had a shop in Brooklyn that fostered community by hosting workshops and events. That's truly where and when Foe & Dear began!

Where do you take your inspiration from?

Nature always plays a part in the inspiration for our pieces. The latest is truly a collection for everyone. Fine jewelry pieces that can be customized, personalized, mixed and matched, and made in any size.

How would you describe your work in 5 words?

Dreamy, honest, and bespoke fine jewelry.

Why do you enjoy working with Misfit diamonds?

All of us love working with the Misfit team so much. Ash reached out ages ago when he moved over from Toronto and we've been friends/colleagues in the industry ever since. The jewelry industry is a tight-knit community that relies so much on transparency and openness and we pride ourselves on having all ceremony pieces being designed, materials sourced (conflict-free gemstones and fairtrade/recycled gold), and handmade by goldsmiths in Canada. Being surrounded by mountains and the ocean, we're very lucky to live where we do. To extend the thanks and local support, we are a partner of 1% for the Planet, which means that our company is committed to giving back at least 1% of every purchase towards community and environmental non-profit organizations.

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