Abby Rogol creates memories

Some pieces of Rogol’s design.Abby Rogol is a study in opposites. At first glance, you might assume that she’s a bit of a rebel – someone who’s not afraid to throw on a jean vest or paint her lips with bright lipstick that’s probably called Tangerine Tango. But then she’ll buy you a tea, despite your insistence that you’re fine, and offer you some of her banana (who knew Starbucks sells fruit?), and you will begin to understand her essence. The hip vibe of an artist complements her smart, considerate and articulate manner. Yet, despite her friendly and garrulous nature, she loves her somewhat solitary job – that of a jewelry designer.

It’s easy to see why her craft appeals to Rogol. Just listen to her describe her style. She alternates between vintage boho and clean minimalism, preferring to shop secondhand stores and antique shops. Somehow, she makes both looks work; after all, she’s as tough as a fringed leather bag and as classy as a white sheath dress. Her jewelry designs are similarly diverse – a combination of gentle beauty and fierce strength. Despite – or because of – the wide range of stylistic elements and inventive material pairings, Rogol’s work is cohesive, uniting the unexpected in gorgeous harmony.

Rogol has always been interested in jewelry – her first job was at the now-extinct Beadworks on Thayer Street, and her senior-year in high school independent study was with Renee Moore Brooks, a jewelry designer who “opened [her] eyes.” Yet, she didn’t have a clear direction in mind when she applied to college. As an undecided major at Quinnipiac University, the freshman realized that the art electives, such as photography and product design, were the classes to which she gravitated. She decided to transfer to Syracuse University to major in jewelry design and metalsmithing.

Right away, she loved everything about the program – the back-to-back four-hour studios and the instructional classes. She considers her professors some of the most influential mentors in her life. Rogol is particularly thankful to Barbara Walter and Lori Hawk. A self-identified visual learner, Rogol especially enjoyed the hands-on part of her education. Work with various materials, including ceramics and fibers, appealed so much that she didn’t even mind the tight deadlines. The effort paid off – Rogol made the Dean’s List every semester, graduating summa cum laude.

That’s quite an honor for someone who had doubts that she could succeed among the artists with large portfolios. Feeling a bit out of place when she first arrived, Rogol struggled to fit in. In retrospect, she now thinks it’s funny that she brought computer paper and Crayola markers instead of the professional materials her classmates used. In fact, it wasn’t until her first critique in a metalsmithing class that she finally understood that she was not only “doing it” but also becoming proficient in the craft.

If you log onto her website, AbbyRogol.com, you’ll see proof of her cleverness during those college years. Among more current jewelry pieces is one from her Experimental Materials and Processes class. Since she couldn’t use any traditional textures in the laminated paper project, Rogol came up with the idea to construct a “necklace” using a fork hinged to a spoon. True to her preference for abstract jewelry with a sense of humor, she connected the resulting collar with a representation of spaghetti and meatballs.

While in college, Rogol studied conceptual design that focuses on the meaning behind the visually interesting aesthetic; in the workplace, she pays more attention to fashion.

Knowing how fashion-forward our readers are, Rogol shared some trends to expect this coming summer. Those who grew up in the 1960s will appreciate the resurgence of pastels and iridescence. Fun and funky is the theme, so make a statement with some retro looks on your next outing.

Since she designs a year in advance, adhering to companies’ requests for certain collections, Rogol can predict the fashions that will be popular in 2016: expect to see rose gold and Western prints and textures on the pages of style magazines.

Faced with designing a new collection, Rogol does a great deal of research. For inspiration and ideas, she browses international forecasting blogs, Pinterest boards and magazines. She also watches fashion-focused television programs that feature looks she can translate into jewelry designs. Even though she works on assigned projects, Rogol takes advantage of the opportunity to interpret the collection. She sees the role of a jewelry designer as one that encourages experimentation.

Fitting this position snugly, Rogol construes the design in a way that’s interesting to her. She loves collecting components of her favorite finds in her home studio. There, she spreads out the knick-knacks she picked up during her travels and in bead shops. Then, she can easily determine which colors and materials work together.

After nearly five years at Arden Jewelry Manufacturing, Rogol has recently changed jobs. She’s now working at F.A.F. Incorporated (Fashion Accessories First) in Greenville. Rogol says that she absolutely loves her job. She doesn’t dread Mondays; instead, she looks forward to brainstorming the next project.

Weekends and evenings allow Rogol to visit the gym, travel and spend time with friends and her boyfriend, Adam. Once in a while, she invites friends and family to jewelry shows. Rogol loves receiving their support. When she saw Lisa Bergman, a family friend, wear one of her pieces to temple, it made her happy.

In her artist statement, Rogol writes that it is her “goal to allow two individuals to come together energetically to a place of connection and timelessness.” Unsurprisingly, her favorite jewelry items are the ones with which she has a history.

She likes borrowing a couple of her grandmother’s pieces to wear on special occasions. Likewise, Rogol favors the jewelry her boyfriend gave her. Considering how beautiful Rogol’s work is, he must have a hard time selecting the pieces that not only look great, but also break the boundaries. Rogol herself is a master of using organic and feminine materials, such as pearls, in combination with metal. In her designs, the elements are foils highlighting each other’s strengths.

IRINA MISSIURO is a writer and editorial consultant for The Jewish Voice.