The Jewelry of Carolyn Rosenberg
Monday, January 19, 2009 at 7:31 PM 
As we await more fashion revelations from Mrs. O's inaugural wardrobe, let's take a look back at one of Mrs. O's more spectacular (but under-examined) accessories from the campaign: the lush purple feather and bead brooch. We saw Mrs. O wear it on CNN's The Larry King Show performance, pinned to a sleeveless top. And she also wore it on her Narciso Rodriguez striped jacket at a National Partnership for Women and Families event in Washington, D.C.
It is a playful, ultra-feminine piece of jewelry; it acknowledges vintage style while embodying a decidedly contemporary tone. The designer is Carolyn Rosenberg, a Chicago-based jewelry maker. In an exclusive interview with www.Mrs-O.org, Rosenberg told us that she started by taking classes in metalworking at a Chicago arts center. From there, she branched into expanding her designs.
"I had a collection of vintage feathers from my great aunt, who had been a milliner," she says. "And so I used them when I was commissioned to do a very small collection of pins." Who commissioned her? None other than boutique owner Ikram Goldman. Rosenberg loved the idea of repurposing the gorgeous feathers, although she frequently dyed them; to anchor the feathers, she used beading in the same tones. Rosenberg knew that Mrs. O had one of her feather pins - "I was asked to make a purple one for her because she had seen some of the other feathered pieces" - but she didn't know when Mrs. O would be wearing it. Then Mrs. O appeared on the Larry King show with the purple feather pin high on her shoulder and Rosenberg's phone starting ringing. "All the relatives recognized it immediately and started calling," she says.
Currently Rosenberg is finishing up her second collection, which is based on vintage beading and embroidery work collected from flappers' dresses. "Sometimes the dress can't be saved because of tearing or deterioration of material," she says, "but the bead work is wonderful." No one has seen this collection yet, but Rosenberg hopes that maybe one day Mrs. O will wear one of those pieces, too. "Regardless of who or what she's wearing, I can't think of a better spokeswoman for today," she says. Naturally, we agree.
Carolyn Rosenberg, Ikram, Michelle Obama in Outfits
Reader Comments (3)
Fascinating. I wonder how the beadwork is being used - it must have to be "transferred" to some new fabric backing.
Very wonderfull jewels, Il love the work of Carolyn Rosenberg ! Congratulations . db
http://www.myspace.com/davidbouns
Mrs. C - Love this post and Carolyn Rosenberg's work. The purple feather pin/brooch that Mrs. O wore was so distinctive. It practically jumped off the page of Vogue the first time I saw it. I'm sure we'll be hearing more of her name in the years ahead. Can't wait to see her new collection!