Kim’s jewelry a touch of art

As a child and while at school, she developed her talents in drawing and painting and was always around to assist her mother in craft projects. She studied visual art at secondary school and eventually got into Graphic Art with the help of her father, who advised her to familiarise herself with graphic art programmes.

Having worked as a junior graphic artist for two years, Lee-Inniss was very cramped and unhappy with her job. She revealed, “I realised that without a degree behind my name I would have to settle for the job that I had and would never move up. I decided it was time to go to school and further my education.”

In 2001, she was accepted to OCAD where she was exposed to a variety of courses including material art and design which consisted of jewelry, ceramics and fibre courses. Through this experience, she became very interested in jewelry design. She also came to realise that she was able to better express her creativity through the designing and making of jewelry, as opposed to graphic art.

The budding jewelry designer makes one-of-a-kind pieces using mainly silver. She specialises in intricate rings but produces a little bit of everything including earrings, chains, bracelets and brooches. She employs a variety of techniques in making her jewelry including soldering and etching, but hopes to learn and master new techniques to incorporate into her designs.

Her work is reminiscent of the many shades of the female heart — its pain, playfulness, vulnerability and above all, fantasy while captivating the freedom and beauty of the Trinidadian spirit.

As a result, the majority of her work is a reflection of that. Currently, she is working on her thesis entitled “Carnival Fantasy” which she hopes will be a marrying of her love of the mystical world of fantasy and the colour and vibrance of Carnival. Through her thesis, she also hopes to experiment with different materials and, even though she loves the look of silver, possibly incorporate more colour into her designs.

The price of her jewelry ranges anywhere from $200 upwards.

“Prices have to be high because it is a reflection of the amount of work that was put in to producing the item,” she insisted.

“There is definitely a market for jewelry in Trinidad. I am very lucky to have found people who have shown interest in certain pieces and are willing to pay the price for them because my pieces are definitely worth it,” she said.

In the next ten years, she hopes to set up her own business and establish herself as a prominent jeweller in Trinidad. When asked about mass-production of her jewelry she responded, “I like my jewelry to be one-of-a-kind. I also like to make unusual pieces because it allows me to be creative.”

Recently, her work was featured at the “Fashionista Funk” new designer showcase and 2006 Caribbean Model Search which took place on July 29.

The event was a the brainchild of Triniscene.com in collaboration with Pulse Investments Ltd of Jamaica.

It brought together some of the region’s top designers, musicians and models. Her pieces are also featured in stickydesignz.com and She Biz Magazine. When asked what advice she would give to others who hope to make their name in the field of jewelry design, she said, “Think of everyone as a piece of art. Go into it with your whole heart. You have to love it.

“Some people love what they do but they don’t make any money so you have to be prepared for that possibility.”