Today we’d like to introduce you to Amanda Tankel.
Hi Amanda, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
I started cocoatemyshoes in April 2021 but the inspiration really began a year prior. I was living in New York City working as a personal assistant to a billionaire when in early March 2020, I got covid. I was sick for months, completely exhausted from the pressures of my job, and really questioning what I actually wanted to do in my life. I realized I needed a complete change so that summer I quit my job and moved to LA to be with my partner who had gotten stuck visiting me in NYC during the shutdown. Fast forward to the spring, we’re on vacation in Hawaii when I find out he’s cheating on me so we break up and I was obviously distraught. I was still dealing with the side effects from covid and felt so broken and lost but also wanted to prove him wrong. I needed an outlet so I started making jewelry and when people started stopping me to ask where I got it from, I made an Instagram account thinking I might as well monetize my heartbreak. I would make these colorful, loud necklaces, photoshop them over pop culture references, and caption it something really unhinged but relatable. Two months later I made a necklace for Billie Eilish who then posted it on her Instagram and it was then that I realized this could actually be a business.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely not and it’s something I talk about with my therapist a lot. I knew nothing about making jewelry or how to run a business before I started coco and had to figure it all out along the way. I’ve made so many mistakes but with each mistake I’ve made I learned something valuable. I do everything myself in my studio apartment so whether it’s photoshop, finding vendors, running a website, selling in stores, expanding the business, literally every single detail I’ve had to learn. A mentor recently said to me that no one is going to care about your business as much as you do and that you can be a talented designer but running a business is a skill of its own, which is something I’m constantly honing in on.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
cocoatemyshoes is named after my bunny, Coco, who I like to joke is my muse and child(she is). She’s this majestic, chaotic, angel-like creature who is super moody but I swear loves the spotlight. All of my branding and packaging has her face on it and each order comes with a Polaroid of her. A customer early on coined themselves a cocohoe, which I thought was hilarious and is now what I refer to people that wear my jewelry.
I still do loud, playful pieces for custom orders but in general, I’d say my style has evolved and I now mostly work with pearls, glass, metal, and gemstones. I’d describe it as chaotic but symmetrical and I’m really inspired by juxtapositions. I work with a lot of female and minority-owned bead makers and ethically source my materials from around the world so whether it’s a custom order or a piece from a collection, no two are exactly alike.
I’ve been fortunate to have made jewelry for some pretty talented people such as Billie Eilish, Jonah Hill, Diplo, Lauren London, Travis Bennett/’Taco’, and have had it featured in Justin Bieber and J Balvin music videos as well as in a Versace campaign. I’ll forever be grateful to Billie because it happened so spontaneously and early on- I had no idea she was going to wear it but then she posted it on her Instagram, which was how I found out. One of the first people to wear a coco was Jordan Firstman, who wanted this hot pink necklace that said I love cock, and he ended up wearing it in a movie Jonah Hill was creating. Jonah loved it so as a wrap gift, Jordan commissioned me to make similar necklaces for the cast, which was also so wild to experience.
I think because I started coco as an outlet and was so painfully vulnerable, it’s built this little community where people feel safe to talk about their own struggles, their own mental health, which is something I really am proud of. The brand is an extension of myself and I’m naturally self-deprecating so if I’m going through it, I’ll post about it. I’ve gotten messages from people telling me how my journey inspires them and how when they wear my jewelry, it encourages them to do difficult things which is so much bigger than what I envisioned for coco when I started two years ago.
As for right now, I have a new collection out and will be releasing merchandise soon. You can check it out on my website www.cocoatemyshoes.com. Thanks!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.cocoatemyshoes.com
- Instagram: cocoatemyshoes
Image Credits
Credits to – crsh. of room for error.
