We got bright and shiny with Kerin Rose Gold, the founder of A-Morir Studio in the latest ILYSM Zine! Read on to discover the difference between "bling-bling" crystals and "woo-woo" crystals AND details about our ILYSM collab 👀
Would you mind just giving people a quick primer as to who you are?
My name is Kerin Rose Gold, I'm the founder and chief creative everything of A-Morir which is an eyewear and accessory line in addition to a creative crystal studio. And by crystals, I mean, “bling bling” crystals, not “woo-woo” crystals. Very important distinction!
Where did your creative journey with A-Morir and bling bling crystals start?
I’ve been a creative my whole life and there's always been this appeal of taking the ordinary things in life and making them feel extraordinary and making them feel special. I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis when I was 16, and had a very, very severe case for about 10 years and so my quality of life was literally and metaphorically really shitty, so being able to find joy in small things held a lot of value to me.
I basically started the brand by accident, I was trying to figure my life out after going into remission. I had gotten fired from a marketing job because I was having a post traumatic breakdown from you know, finally being able to live a life at the age of 26/27. So I lived on unemployment, lived very frugally, started working at the Patricia Field boutique part time, and all of these art supplies and I got back into a creative practice, which I just hadn't had the time or the bandwidth for previously. Then it just sort of happened, I broke my last pair of $5 sunglasses and wanted to get a new pair, but everything was boring. I had extra crystals leftover from when I thought I was getting a phone upgrade and was like “Well, I can just put these on some sunglasses instead of my new BlackBerry or Motorola Razr.” And it was the first time that I've made something where there was such a visceral reaction from strangers. I would be chased down the street by people asking where I got my sunglasses.
What are the sort of feelings you get while you’re crystalizing something?
One of the reasons that I'm so drawn to the practice is it's very meditative and calming. But when it comes to the business there are multiple parts that I find appealing. If it's a one off custom commission, (which a lot of these things are) there's a logistical challenge, and a time constraint. A lot of commissions come with the request “can you do this by tomorrow?” and the answer is always “yes!” and then it’s up to me to figure out how. There are all these different elements that make the work we do at the studio either an exciting adrenaline kick or meditative and calming.
What’s the upcoming ILYSM Collaboration?
I’ve been admiring ILYSM for a while and I love what the brand represents so collaborating has been super exciting! The collab is three pairs of tabis with blinged out toe boxes because I really wanted to highlight the special elements of the shoe, specifically the split toe and the knit design.
What are you currently obsessed with?
There is a nut mix my in-laws bring me every time they visit. Rifai, from Lebanon and thanks to minimal packaging I have no idea what’s in it, but I could eat a pound a day. I’m obsessed with getting to bed early (which for me means 11, and falling asleep at 11:30) and had you told me that 5 years ago I would have laughed at you. And I’m obsessed with the doves that hang out on the studio balcony. Sometimes they sleep, sometimes they fluff each others feathers, sometimes they sing a sad song, and I love them so much.
Kerin wears the ILYSM tabi in Frost Blue. Follow Kerin on IG @amorirstudio.
