Daily Inspiration: Meet Taryn Wittlin

Today we’d like to introduce you to Taryn Wittlin.

Hi Taryn, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m an 80’s baby who was basically born with beads, kandi hearts and string in my hands. All my childhood birthday parties were jewelry-making parties. I began selling my work when I was 18 and never looked back! After college, I moved from Canada to L.A. to work with kawaii brands such as tokidoki & Gwen Stefani’s Harajuku Lovers before going out on my own with Trixy Starr.

My aesthetic is still the same as it ever was…80’s my little pony pastel sparkly neon rainbow iridescent magic with a kawaii twist 😉 . I’m a huge music lover and stoked to have done a collab with my favourite band, the Grateful Dead. It’s a really fun mix of iconic Dead art with Trixy sparkles and pastel hues. The energy of the brand is based in spreading love, helping others to feel empowered to stand in their truth, rock their heart on their sleeve, and love themselves as much as possible. The Trixy slogan, “Shine your Light” really represents the essence of the pieces and the energy I’m trying to spread – feel good/joy vibes for everyone!!!! I want to encourage people to channel their innermost shiny self, their connection with the Divine, and the idea of dressing fun for the purpose of self-love… to feel GOOD!!! and to wear things that make you smile 😉 If we operate from joy and carry that frequency wherever we go, we can and will help wake each other up!!

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being a small business owner is super cool in many ways: being able to do what I love and on my own schedule. I make the rules which means I can spend time with my three years old son. I’m so grateful for that!! All that being said, it has not been an easy road!!! Building something up from nothing takes a lot of time, patience and true dedication. This path isn’t for the faint of heart! I’ve definitely been rejected many times by retailers and wanted to give up a million times along the way, but I’m thankful to have finally made it to a place of acceptance of the fact that it’s just who I am… my brand is an extension of my heart, there is no quitting. I actually couldn’t if I tried! I’m happiest when I’m designing magical pieces for the world to rock, and I have no intention of ever stopping.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I design super playful jewelry, pins, stickers, & patches with the intention of helping to spread joy, to make people smile, feel good and ultimately raise the vibration of the planet! I’m known for my use of colour – I love bright colours and mixing together unusual colour combinations. Over the years, I’ve done everything from 80’s pop plastic jewelry to earthy hemp pieces, to freshwater pearls and polished stones, to re-worked vintage styles, acrylic pieces, and everything in between. I’m most proud of the collaboration I did with the Grateful Dead. I put a girly, sparkly spin on the iconic art of the Dead. This allowed me to merge my passions – music and design. What sets me apart from others? I’d say my attitude. Not to say I’m the only one with the mentality that there’s truly room for everyone, but that is how I feel, I’m an inclusive person who isn’t into competition. I just want to help people feel good and channel their inner light. I know there are tons of other cute fashion jewelry brands out there and I want them all to succeed too!!! I’m super grateful to be able to wear my heart on my sleeve and spread my love to the people via fun accessories that make people feel cute!

So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
I love doing custom styles. I always encourage people to reach out if they want to design a fun, meaningful piece of jewelry just for them. Also, since I’m a grassroots indie brand, I always appreciate people sharing the brand with their loved ones as so much of my business comes from word of mouth. Brand awareness takes a long time to build. I’m grateful for all the love and support from the people who dig my style and resonate with my vision and what I’m trying to do!

Contact Info:

• Website: www.trixyjewels.com
• Instagram: @trixystarr