We are so excited because the exotic and beautiful Isha Elafi has arrived from Bali with trunks full of her wonderful, unique jewelry! We know many of you have been collecting her work over the past 25 years and look forward to her once a year pilgrimage.
For those of you who are new to her work she creates one-of-a-kind wearable treasures by knotting together semi-precious stones, silver, beads, and artifacts found in her travels. She hand dyes her threads to make art that is durable, light to wear, and hand-washable. Her influence and colors are from the various tribal cultures that she has visited throughout Asia and South America. Each of her creations is as unique as she is!
As usual we are her first stop so we are able to hand-pick the best of the best just for you! Please hurry in to select your next one-of-a-kind treasured piece of Isha’s jewelry!
20 Questions With . . .
1. What is your name?
Isha Elafi
2. Where are you from originally? Now?
Northport,New York. Now - Bali
3. Where do you draw your inspiration?
I am most inspired by tribal cultures, especially Native American. My travels throughout Asia & South America are a constant source of inspiration – they are so culturally rich & actively creative.
4. How important is it for you to surround yourself with other creative people?
I always say: what one does with heart is art!! So I love to be around people who are happy and those who have a passion for life are happy generally. “If you love what you do, you will never work a day in your life" and that is true for me. I feel so blessed to enjoy my work it is sometimes astounding to me that I have been given this gift this lifetime.
5. Describe your creative process?
My mind simply leads me to many ideas and when I work I just pick up the threads and start. The possibilities are infinite and sometimes I need to break away from patterns I have created to open the door for new designs.
6. What is the crucial item every woman must have for the upcoming season?
The item every woman, man and child need to have this season is LOVE. All the other items are useless without this.
7. If you could accessorize a celebrity that best fits your brand, who would it be and why?
I gave a piece to my favorite writer Alice Walker and she wrote me a beautiful thank you and sent me picture of herself in the necklace. Whoopi Goldberg bought several of my pieces and I am sure the work looks great on her too!! I love the art of both these women and am so happy they represent the beauty of the black culture in America and I love them!!
8. Who or what is your biggest influence?
Color schemes from nature are my biggest influence and then the forms from the native cultures.
9. Do you listen to music when you work? If so, what kind?
Sometimes I listen to world music which I love, Jai Uttal and African music are favorites of mine but often I listen to the birds and the roosters and the wind as our studio is open with all windows to the garden and the fountain so we have these nice sounds and feeling of the wind.
10. What was your 1st job?
My first job was hand painting t shirts for Mishka Designs in Greenwich Village, while I went to art school at Pratt, it was fun I could color a whole t-shirt in 1 hour and the pay was $2 for a shirt, which they sold to Bloomingdales. After art school I was a textile designer for a year before I started to travel and make my macramé; I was 23 and now am 57!!!
11. What is your most treasured possession?
My most treasured possession is my heart and soul, my body, my hands my eyes.
12. Are you a morning person or a night owl?
I am a morning person for sure!! (my cat boobala makes sure I am awake, usually by 5:30) I cannot work after 4pm and shut down at 10pm.
13. What is your favorite meal?
I am vegetarian since I was 15 so my favorite now is salad and raw vegan food!!
14. What’s the last thing you read?
Silence Speaks by Eckhart Tolle. I love his words, so clear and true.
15. What’s your favorite quote?
"and now here is the secret, a very simple secret: it is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye" - LITTLE PRINCE
16. What’s your guilty pleasure?
I gave up on guilt and dropped doing things that are not good for me or others.
17. What TV character, if any, do you most identify with?
Dropped television when I was 15 and I never bought one and it is rare that I see one now…
18. What do you do to relax?
To relax I walk on the beach, usually every morning at 6 with my dogs and at 5 so we all get some positive ions and the sweet sea breeze and exercise!!
19. What is your favorite season?
I love autumn in New York but rarely am there at that time!
20. Is the cup half empty or half full?
Of course half full!! Then there is the joy of filling it up still to come!! We are so lucky just being alive!!!!
