Linden Avenue: From One of Our Own
If you are like me, you can’t complete an outfit without accessories. My Casio watch and my favorite turquoise rings practically never leave my body and my favorite western belt and Dooney & Bourke purse can be seen with me at least five days out of the week. For the past year-ish, the accessories that have made the most statement in my wardrobe have been earrings. The large silver hoops from my mom’s collection are classic and the emerald green dangles I found at Savers create a vintage vibe, but the pair I have been drawn towards non-stop have been my black-and-white marble, clay earrings from Linden Avenue.
When I first met Hannah Rexinger and she told me about her jewelry company, I was shocked. Her designs were way too cute to be $10 to $15, and there were so many options. Just look at all of these!
The coolest part about Hannah’s brand, however, has to be her personal flair (she uses her mom as one of her models!) and her evident heart for people.
How She Started
Rexinger, an alumni of UCLA and one of our very own Mode Editors, started her brand in the summer of 2017 when looking for a creative outlet. She learned about clay jewelry at the Rose Bowl Flea Market when she saw a woman selling clay necklaces. The next day she went to buy supplies. After sitting on her floor for hours designing and making earrings, she realized she needed something to do with all her new pieces.
“I made so many that I was like ‘I cant keep all of these!’, so I started posting them on my Instagram to see if anybody wanted to buy a couple. Then people started asking for custom orders!” Rexinger said.
Well of course they did! They are so detailed and unique! It was then that Rexinger created her brand, Linden Avenue.
The Name
Rexinger choose the name Linden Avenue for its significance to her and her boyfriend, Jach (how sweet is that personal touch!). It is the name of a street in Carpinteria by Santa Barbara and is the place where Jach grew up going camping with family. It is also where they had one of their first dates!
Her Inspiration
Rexinger is most inspired by the colors and shapes that she sees sees in art and landscape photography. When creating her pieces, she imagines someone wearing them and asks herself,
“What kind of person are they and what kind of earrings would they wear?”
Her desire is to make earrings that women and girls want to wear, all while keeping her design fingerprint on her pieces.
Her Process
“...that part is so fun, figuring out what meshes well and what doesn’t.”
Rexinger is all for trial and error. Her favorite part of the process is creating the pieces; she loves to figure out which colors and shapes go together and which don’t.
“I feel like I skipped the part in kindergarten where you learn to put this color with that color...but that part is so fun! Figuring out what meshes well and what doesn’t,” Rexinger said.
Her Advice
When interviewing Rexinger, I really wanted to know if she had any advice to give to someone starting their own company. I was surprised to learn that even with such a successful brand, Rexinger still feels the ups and downs of excitement and discouragement. Her advice was insightful and encouraging.
“Keep going for it,” Rexinger said. “Don’t discourage yourself by letting the words in your head discourage you. Keep doing it as long as it keeps bringing you joy.”
As an avid supporter of local brands, I am immediately drawn to Linden Avenue, not just because of the fun statement earrings, but because of the thoughtful designer behind the brand. Rexinger makes her jewelry with her customers in mind, making her brand more personal to me and every person who has one (or 10) of her pieces.
To make Linden Avenue even better….they are having a FLASH SALE with a great selection of limited pieces! If you already love Hannah’s earrings, pins, and barrettes, or if you are excited to try your first pair, follow the link to her website!
I am already there.
