How I Wear It: Diane Kordas
American-born, London-based jewelry designer Diane Kordas is known for her casual cool style. And whether she’s wearing a great pair of bell-bottom jeans or a sexy slip dress, her look is never complete without layers of symbolic diamond jewels.
“I like my personal style to reflect my attitude towards life,” says the tall, lanky blond. “It’s about looking effortless but also fun.”
Here, Kordas shares how she mixes up her jewelry designs to create what she calls “easy glam.”
What comes first when you get dressed, the clothes or jewelry?
Diane Kordas: I sleep in my jewelry, so it’s definitely jewelry!
What are your go-to pieces, the jewelry you wear every day?
DK: I always wear something from my Animal Kingdom collection—the Lion or Tiger ring to feel strong, or the zebra ring if I’m feeling more playful. In the summer, I live in my colorful hippie beads which have a cool ’70s vibe along with my woven evil eye bracelets.
How do you like to style your jewels?
DK: It’s all about layering. I often wear my gold and diamond BOSS/LADY and TRUTH/DARE spinning ID tag pendants together with a gold link and aventurine chain for texture and a pop of color. I like to mix it up.
What’s your advice for clients who want to update their look with jewelry?
DK: Jewelry should complement the wearer, not the other way around. I advise my clients to step out of their comfort zone and take a bit of risk with their jewelry choices. The juxtaposition of wearing our large diamond geometric earring with jeans as opposed to a formal outfit, for example, is a more modern style.
Whose jewelry style do you admire?
DK: There are many style icons who have a beautiful aesthetic and great jewelry, but I absolutely love a woman who wears her jewelry with confidence and feels gorgeous in her selections. That’s everything!
Are you superstitious with your jewelry?
DK: I wouldn’t say I’m superstitious, but I love wearing a talismanic piece such as my evil eye woven bracelet stacked on my right wrist. I lost both my parents years ago, so I always wear my gold link bracelet they gave me for my 16th birthday as a way of keeping them close to my heart—a gentle reminder they are with me every day.
How do you tell a story with jewelry?
DK: I always try to design collections with their own stories. The Amulette collection, for example, features gold vials that are designed to hold scent—be it your own perfume or your lover’s fragrance—and are embellished with diamond stoppers. Scent is a powerful messenger as it is linked to our emotional system. The amulets are also a cool approach to personalizing jewelry in a less traditional way.
What jewelry do your two daughters always “borrow” from you?
DK: I love that word ‘borrow’ as it’s Kristi and Alexandra’s mantra! Kristi loves my diamond star pieces, like my new rainbow star earring, and anything in black gold. Alexandra will basically take anything she can get! My spinning ID tags along with my diamond chokers are always ‘on loan’ to Kristi and Alex. It makes me happy that they love my designs as they are my biggest critics!