Fortune Favors the Bold
The Protective Jewelry of Shannon Koszyk
‘Fortune favors the bold’. This latin proverb is the motto of Seattle jewelry designer Shannon Koszyk. “I came upon that phrase in college and I knew I wanted to use it for something. I’ve had multiple customers tell me, ‘I feel so much stronger when I’m wearing your jewelry’ or ‘I feel protected when I’m wearing your jewelry’. The phrase is about empowerment and in a way my jewelry has become kind of like armor to some people”.
The unique gothic aura of Shannons jewelry is deeply rooted in catholicism and the occult, among other historical influences. “I am intoxicated by visual information and I cant get enough. Inspiration comes in may forms. Its a book, a movie, a flower, a trip to the museum, travel, etc. I’m inspired by history and love to incorporate historical iconography into my designs”. Her hand crafted jewelry has been accurately described as ‘artisanal gothic anthropology’ and looking through her vibrant catalog of pendants, rings, bracelets, and earrings just beckons you to listen to early Sabbath and read through some Edgar Allen Poe.
Featured in Vogue, GQ, and Rolling Stone, and worn by television personalities such as Steven Tyler and Denis Leary, Shannon’s jewelry has impacted a wide audience, and it all started with her passion to create the jewelry she was passionate about. “I began making jewelry for myself. I went to a local jewelry store and bought some chain and looked up how to antique silver. I was working with interior designers at the time and they began asking about my jewelry and slowly it became a business. It was a great way to start because I wasn’t looking at it from a place of starting a business, I didn’t overthink it. I was not inhibited by price or by thinking about how it would be perceived. It was a place of total creative freedom and I believe that’s the most important ingredient in good design, a sense of freedom”.
Shannon’s style has taken great influence from the places she’s lived and travelled. Whether that be the Spanish gothic churches of Santa Barbara, the stone estates of Belfast, and especially northwest culture of her current residence in Seattle. “I love Seattle and the music scene that runs through it. I was honored when SubPop reached out to me when they opened their flagship store in the Seattle airport. Its amazing to be included in that arena and to be recognized as a vital Seattle designer among the musicians I admire, amazing! This city gave me a place where I wasn’t comparing myself to anyone else. Its a very great place for me to do the sort of thing that I do because I’m really the only person doing this sort of look. In Seattle it was a lot easier for me to find my own way”.
Shannon continues to create timeless, sexy, and edgy jewelry because fortune absolutely favors the bold.