Photo courtesy of Azlee
Before she came to found [AZLEE](http://azleejewelry.com)—a combination of her name—Baylee Ann Zwart was no stranger to fashion. The jewelry designer worked at _Glamour_ and _Allure_ before moving to Guatemala where she learned the art of jewelry-making, where she made pieces reproduced in her collections today. While working for TOMS, Zwart pursued her passion for sustainable fashion, before leaving in 2015 to start her own company.
Today all of AZLEE’s pieces are handmade by master craftsmen in Los Angeles, using only 18k gold and platinum to ensure long-lasting, quality pieces. Zwart also founded the AZLEE Atelier, in which she offers clients a more hands-on role in the creative process, by allowing them to create customized pieces with rare-cut diamonds.
AZLEE has been worn by major names such as Emma Watson, Rihanna, Selena Gomez, Zoë Kravitz, Scarlett Johansson, and has been featured on the pages of _Vogue, Vogue Paris, W, Elle, Bazaar,_ among other noteworthy international publications.
Check out _Flaunt_’s chat with AZLEE founder Baylee Ann Zwart below.
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Photo courtesy of Azlee
**What inspired the foundation of your collection?**
I'm really passionate about creating fine jewelry options for modern women, that feel approachable for everyday wear, but special enough to invest in knowing they will have it for years to come. I also have kept distribution strategic, so that when clients come across our brand they feel like they've discovered it, and it won't be something all of their friends have. I've always loved the Art Deco era of jewelry, it was so architectural and linear with the use of such unusual shapes of stones and diamonds, and I design in a very linear way, so I have loved creating a more modern take on Deco. On the other hand I've also been fascinated by ancient civilizations for as long as I can remember, so being able to create ancient looking coins, in solid gold was always an ambition of mine, and so was combing those two worlds, Ancient and Deco, and that's really the voice and foundation of our collection.
**When leaving your house for a night on the town, with either your loved one or your squad, what jewelry piece do you find is most essential?**
I'm really enamored with our new Carre Diamond Handmade Chains in the 16" length. To have these beautiful carre diamonds just glimmering along your collarbone I think it just so sleek. I feel sexy and complete. And they layer over our coins so beautifully.
**What role does sustainability play in your practice?**
Sustainability is constantly on my mind and something that was embedded into our business practices from the beginning. There are endless opportunities of how to pursue sustainability within your company, but a very important aspect for me was to keep all production local. It supports local jewelers, businesses and the local economy which is my home. I love being able to put our money towards local artisans who are trying to make a living off doing a trade that has often times been in their family for generations. I also am very passionate about the health of our oceans, and all of it's creatures. Since I am not dedicating my life to that work, I knew I wanted to support organizations leading the charge on that front as best I could. Each year we partner with a different ocean-related organization and a portion of each sale goes directly to that organization. We are currently partnered with Sea Legacy. They have done an amazing job of leveraging the power of social media and photography to develop awareness and meaningful change.
Photo courtesy of Azlee
**How do you name your pieces? Do they have any sentimental value or do you just like how they sound?**
I love this question. I try and develop an underlying story for each collection, and elements of that story are seen throughout the pieces, and the names reflect those elements. Our most recent theme was the search for direction. Directional elements are scattered throughout, and the names of each piece adhere to that theme. With our coins, which depict a combination of ancient symbols, it's been really fun to develop the names of those as they all have different meanings. So I consider the themes and create the names. Names of ranged from Of the Earth, which has a nature and love theme, to Karkinos, which was a name taken from Ancient Greece for a crab that signified Bravery in their culture.
**What was your earliest memory of jewelry from childhood?**
My grandmother always had jewelry on. Always sets; a pair of earrings with a matching necklace, with eclectic but matching bracelets. It was such an important part of her day, choosing her jewelry and she always put so much emphasis on it. An outfit wasn't complete without jewelry, and she had so much of it. Nothing of high value but it was so important to her. I loved going to her house, and opening up all of her many drawers of perfectly organized jewelry.
**What are the biggest challenges and benefits of making everything in Los Angeles?**
I honestly don't see a downside to local production if you are selling a product in a category that can support the cost of domestic production. I honestly can't imagine trying to produce abroad. I am so hands on with my product, I see it every step of the way. Being local to it it enables it to evolve into perfection, so I think that is a huge advantage. It's such an intimate process and I thoroughly love learning more and more each day about the creation of jewelry. I started at the bench myself making the pieces, so I've always been very interested in the process, not just the result. And I get to work daily with such incredible jewelers who are as passionate about my pieces as I am, and what's more enjoyable than that?
**What was your motivation in starting your own line of jewelry?**
I have a deep, ever growing love of creating fine jewelry. It's such a fascinating space to me. The fact we aren't limited by fit or fabrics, it feels endless. And there is so much history to explore of techniques that have been lost with time, or unusual, rare, one of a kind materials that can be incorporated into the pieces. And the fact the pieces then get to be worn daily and enjoyed generation to generation is so beautiful to me. I really love the product and I really enjoy running a business for similar reasons, the learning is endless and there is no one way to go about things. It is all a very creatively stimulating process.
**Who are your influences? Muses?**
I'm really inspired by other artists. Others who visually create through a different medium. When I design I also have a certain woman in mind, and I constantly cross check in my mind to make sure she would wear what I'm creating. It helps me stay on track. My muses change, but I do really appreciate women who know their personal style and it's less about chasing all of the trends. They know how to take a trend and make it their own rather than just mimicking it. I find those women inspiring because they are always relevant but in a way that makes sense to them.
Photo courtesy of Azlee
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