Each week, we will be featuring an interview with someone who is pursuing their passion in the most creative ways. Our first guest is Jewelry Designer Sam H. Snyder. Sam handcrafts pieces that are the definition of art meeting industrial design. A New York transplant by way of Portland, he is redefining the Fine Jewelry scene.
How did you start designing jewelry?
My jewelry designing began in a class at Parsons (NYC) spring term of 2011. It wasn’t a jewelry design class per se, but more of a studio class in which to pursue any interest. It began as a collaboration with my friend, Laura Fidalgo, to produce and launch a new jewelry line under the name SL Design. That partnership quickly faltered, though, and I finished the course with the partnership disolved and the collection partially re-designed and re-branded as Sam H Snyder. After that term, I continued with the brand, but found I didn’t have adequate time to dedicate to the line, in combination with my course-load at Parsons. So, I dropped out of Parsons during spring term 2012 and never looked back. It was a risky choice, in retrospect, but at the same time, not much of a choice at all–I was desperately unhappy at Parsons and aching to put more emphasis on “real” work–in that sense it was an incredibly easy choice to make.
Tell me about your newest collection and the concept behind the pieces?
The 2013 collection comes in two parts (10pcs each, 20pcs in total): the Sam H Snyder collection designed solely by myself, and the Polina Gurtovaya for Sam H Snyder collection conceived by my partner, Polina, and edited/executed by myself. My half of the collection strongly adheres to the blocky, chunky, industrial look of the previous (2012) collection and was inspired by the geometric motifs of manhole covers in NYC. Many of the shapes and profiles present in my collection can by found reflected in whole or in part on these covers around the city. Polina’s collection shares many of the aesthetic and formative principles of my own collections, but re-interprets and executes them in a slimmed, more delicate profile. Together, this variety has been very effective at catering to multiple tastes and styles.
What are your future plans for the SAM jewelry line?
More collaborations are in the works, at the moment. Custom-work is also a constant passion and challenge. I plan to expand to more stockists (Portland, OR, San Francisco, LA, and Chicago are soon to be new additions) domestically and worldwide. For the time being, I think I’ll keep new lines to yearly-launch schedules to free myself to pursue the multitude of other ideas I’m simultaneously exploring. I’m also working on a clothing line “Gavroche Conception” that will be inducted under the Sam H Snyder brand after its launch later this spring. I have dreams further down the line of housewares and lighting design. I want to do everything–there are few things I DON’T want to do!
