The Moms

Andrea Forhman

Founder & Jewelry Designer of Andrea ForhmanLos Angeles, CAPhotography by Lauri Levenfeld & Andrea PosadasStory by Lauri Levenfeld

We fell in love with Andrea’s current celestial designs  (like the rest of the world) via instagram. Each piece in her collection is handmade, casted and showcases a collection of stones and gems Andrea has handpicked from her travels around the world. Andrea’s appreciation for details like filagree and antique settings and her imagination and creativity with bold color, shape, and design are ignited by her grandmother as her muse and by her semester in Florence during college. Both have been magical influences in her life that keep Andrea’s creations playful, romantic, modern and authentic. Her custom line of phases of the moon to commemorate special occasions-the birth of a child, a wedding date- is ingenious. Say goodbye to the nameplate and dog tag, we just love these subtle, yet powerful symbols of love and affection.

 

In many ways I still feel like a girl.  I turned 40 this past year, and have to constantly remind myself that I am woman, raising small children; but in my mind, I feel as though I am in my early 20’s.  I feel young. I have vivid memories of that time in my life,  as if it happened yesterday.

 I think our physical selves “grow up” much faster than our emotional selves, and so, feeling young is about the fact that I am still learning and evolving and making mistakes.

I have definitely found my life’s work.  I seemed to have found it the minute I started my business.   It is a part of me and I treat it like another family member.

I absolutely love what I do and every morning I wake up with a sense of purpose and at the end of the day and go to sleep with a sense of fulfillment.  What a gift. Once I started creating my line, the selling aspect came to me second nature and I was able to combine my creative passion with my instinct for business.

As my company grows, I do find myself having to navigate some challenging issues and problems that have been pretty uncomfortable.  I suppose it goes with the territory of committing to and investing deeply in something you love.

I am inspired by…

1. Nature. Growing up in Marin, on top of a mountain, at the end of a winding road, invited me to appreciate the beauty of the natural world.  So much of my collection is based on the weather and celestial meaning which I’m sure began with me lying on a lawn chair in our little canyon, watching the stars at night and the sunrise in the morning.

2. Color. I have always been drawn to color and unexpected combinations.  I think the risk taking in my designs, especially when it comes to color, speak to the modern fashion forward woman who wants to express herself.  When I began my first collection of cocktail rings, it was the color combinations that helped my line stand out.

3. My 93-year old Grandmother Florence. My grandmother has amazing jewelry she collected during her travels with my grandfather, spanning many different eras.   Her opal cocktail ring is the single inspiration for the first piece I ever created.  She taught me what to look for in well-crafted jewelry and showed me how the right pieces can update anything you wear.  

Kids: Grace-age 10, Beckett-age 7

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned from my kids is that we all start out positive and eager to learn and love without judgment or conditions.  Our life experiences sometimes take away our innocence and acceptance, but when I had children, I began to forgive and love again with fewer walls.  This has to be the greatest gift I have received from them thus far.

The hardest moments I have had being a mom have been leaving my husband and children to travel for business.  It’s crucial for me to be on the road sometimes and when they were younger I think it was harder on me, but now that they are older I see how upset they are when I leave.  I do, however, truly believe that this is very healthy for all of us, including my husband.  I come home to flowers and lots of appreciation for all that I do.

Besides dinner on the table, I try hard to listen to my children.  Nothing is more frustrating for a child than to not be heard.  Ideally, this should remain true through their teenage and young adult years.  We get busy, trying to multi-task and be productive, but I think it is important to remember to stay present and listen.

My First Showing at Paris Fashion Week 

Waking up in Paris already felt different than home.  The city is very clean.  Walking around the streets, you can get lost just thinking about the age of the buildings.  Watching Parisians walking to work. 
Holding their pastries and shots of espresso didn’t feel foreign to me.  What was different was their pace.  Very calm, but not slow.  Their outfits were perfectly thrown together, as if effortless but definitely given thought.
Being in Paris during Fashion Week for anyone in this business should be a requirement and I am shocked at how long it has taken me to get there.  What I saw and experienced in the week I was there was more than I have learned in 10 years in the business.  
The most incredible and fulfilling part about it was the way my collection for SS15 was received.  There are so many talented designers going thru PFW.  It can be quite intimidating and I had no expectations when I arrived.  But the reaction was incredible and I felt very fulfilled knowing I traveled and showed at Paris Fashion Week and my work was loved.

 

My style today is anything Rag + Bone, Helmut Lang. + Derek Lam.  For my age, body type and style, I can choose almost anything from one of these lines each season and know it will go perfectly with my casual lifestyle in LA and dressed up for a trunk show and travel.  My favorite handbags are from Clare Vivier & Edie Parker.  They both totally encompass my style – with a pop of color and shimmer.  For the everyday shoe, I’ve fallen for Pedro Garcia – so comfortable and very good for L.A. life.  If I am dressing up, it’s always Saint Laurent.

My fashion icons– Kate Moss, Sarah Jessica Parker, Phoebe Philo, Sienna Miller.

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