When Lisa Eisner moved to Los Angeles from New York roughly 40 years ago, she was unknowingly on the precipice of a creative journey that has sustained her to this day. Her curiosity as a jewellery designer began while she was a stylist and also the West Coast editor of Vogue.
After developing a friendship with Tina Chow (also a jewellery maker), Eisner, now in her sixties, decided she wanted to explore the trade. She took jewellery-making classes, but then detoured into photography and became a co-founder of Greybull Press, an arthouse publishing label. (Her book Rodeo Girl, an accumulation of nearly a decade’s worth of photos of rodeo queens visiting her hometown of Cheyenne, Wyoming, was the impetus for Madonna’s stylistic choices for her bestselling Music album.) Eisner returned to the idea of designing jewellery after her husband, Eric Eisner, told her point-blank: “You’ve been fucking around. You know jewellery, you love it, and you have to do jewellery.” Since then, Eisner has made the metier her medium, selling at boutiques around the globe and collaborating with fashion friends like Tom Ford and The Row girls (Ashley Olsen is her daughter-in-law).
Silver Foil Extra Long 2-Drop Earring in sterling silver and Defayo Necklace in sterling silver with Ithaca peak turquoise by LISA EISNER JEWELRY, Silver Foil Rings in sterling silver and Silver Foil Wave Cuff in sterling silver by LISA EISNER JEWELRY, made exclusively for THE ROW
10: When you first started making jewellery, were you already a collector?
Lisa Eisner: Yes. I felt like I could only do this because I was collecting, for me, the masters. I’m a big fan of Art Smith, I have a lot of his stuff. I have some [Alexander] Calder pieces. I have some pieces by William Spratling and Line Vautrin. And then all of these amazing Native American designers, some known, some not. But Charles Loloma for sure. So, I thought: I wear a lot of jewellery. I live with jewellery. I think I can do this, but I didn’t know shit, you know? I always knew I wanted to start in bronze; I loved all these ’70s studio pieces where artists couldn’t afford gold or silver, so they made them in bronze, which can be ugly or beautiful with a patina; it gets better the more it’s worn. Not to mention it’s way cheaper and lighter than gold. Also, I had to make big pieces, so it only made sense to do it in bronze, not gold.
from left: Blue Solstice Necklace in bronze and leather with lapis and Blue Abalone Earrings with fringe bronze, gold-filled post and dyed abalone by LISA EISNER JEWELRY and clockwise from left: Citrine Rays Cuff in bronze with citrine, Starburst Necklace in bronze with citrine, Trio of Hippie Web Bracelets in bronze with citrine and Solar Flare Ring in bronze with imperial topaz by LISA EISNER JEWELRY
You’ve changed the perception of what precious metals are, so this makes perfect sense.
Well, I must say that it wasn’t the easiest thing to do because people and stores had these rules of like, “Well, if it’s not gold, it’s costume.” I’m like, “Well, that’s the stupidest thing I ever heard because my pieces are handmade. They’re one of a kind.” And some customers wouldn’t want to spend that much on bronze. And I get it, but there’s a difference between that and gold. You’re not going to travel with some big giant gold beast, because you’re going to be worried about it. But bronze, you can wear it and it’s not so precious. I’d rather have a big bronze piece than some little ass gold chain.
The way you wear bronze is with more of a fun attitude.
Yeah, they’re like art pieces. I was really into how the pieces were fabricated, how they were made and that they were unique. Then I went to the Tucson [Gem & Jewelry Show] for the first time and I was like: oh man, where do you begin? I started by finding dealers with turquoise and lapidary guys who were hoarders. There’s beautiful turquoise in other places, but I need it to be American because of my past and love of the West.
Chief’s Necklace in bronze with Peruvian blue opal by LISA EISNER JEWELRY
Do you have a sentimental relationship with jewellery?
Yes, it’s protective. It’s armour. I’ll never get on an aeroplane without my Saint Christopher [talisman] or black tourmaline [necklaces]. Things that I feel protected wearing. That’s how I see every stone. A lot of times, I’ll find one stone that I love and that’s it; I’ll work around that stone. It may not be the best business plan, but that’s just how it goes for me.
What other materials do you like?
I got into black jade. The black jade I use is from Wyoming and that’s very rare. I started working with The Row girls. I know how much they like black, so that was great. That’s still going.
from top: Silver Foil and Citrine Wave Cuff in sterling silver with citrine, Silver Foil Wave Cuff in sterling silver and Silver Foil and Citrine ring in sterling silver with citrine by LISA EISNER JEWELRY, made exclusively for THE ROW
I first saw your jewellery at a re-see appointment for Tom Ford accessories, because I was an accessories editor. It was the runway jewellery; I think we ran a starburst necklace.
Tom is a good friend. He had moved here [to LA] because of Richard [Buckley, his late husband]. He’s like, ‘I want you to show me the collection. I want you to come up with some ideas for this.’ So that’s when we did the big starburst and I think we did some feather earrings and a feather necklace. I did two or three collections with him. But even after that, it was always a little bit of a harder sell because of the bronze. My stuff was never great in stores. It was good at Max Fields, but at other stores, it wasn’t that great. It looked so out of touch with everything else. I existed between the genres. Even the buyer would point out that the price point was too high for the costume buyer.
from left: Solar Flare Necklace in bronze with black opal by LISA EISNER JEWELRY and Abalone Earrings in fringe bronze, gold-filled post with dyed abalone, Defayo Necklace in bronze with lapis, Skyscraper Ring in bronze with lapis, Moon Feather Ring in bronze with lapis and Star Formation Bracelet in bronze with lapis by LISA EISNER JEWELRY
The interesting thing about your jewellery is how it crosses so many visual genres and now I feel like it’s getting a new platform with The Row.
The Row girls love jewellery, too. They love minimal pieces, as well as vintage and Mughal Indian jewellery. We all love the same things and I think when it comes down to saying, ‘Okay, this will be in stores, it’s more minimal’, it’s black jade or silver. When I do a trunk show, I will have things that would feel very out there for them, but they like it because their stuff can be very minimal and it looks really great to have something different. It could be decorative or big and you might say that’s not The Row, but it looks really good with The Row.
from left: Green Abalone Earrings with fringe bronze, gold-filled post and dyed abalone, The Pink Moment Earring in 18k gold with ruby and Snow Feather Ring in bronze with amethyst by LISA EISNER JEWELRY
You were a muse to Tom. Do you have muses of your own?
Definitely the [Olsen] twins. I’m constantly amazed and learning from both those girls. I know it’s very nepo, but their taste is so crazy, eclectic and interesting. Growing up in the fucking Valley, I’m like, ‘Oh my god. How did you guys get to this place?’ They have the kind of taste you’d expect from someone who grew up in an amazing castle in Italy; it’s so refined. They’re smart, they have amazing eyes and they’re just constantly learning. That’s incredibly inspiring for me.
Taken from 10 Magazine USA Issue 6 – CREATIVITY, CHANGE, FREEDOM – out March 18th! Order your copy here.
LISA EISNER: ROCK STEADY
Photographer CHARLOTTE HASS
Talent LISA EISNER
Text WILL KAHN
Sittings editor CHRISTOPHER KIM
Jewellery throughout LISA EISNER
from left: Silver Foil and Citrine Wave Cuff in sterling silver with citrine, Silver Foil Collar in sterling silver, Silver Foil and Citrine Ring in sterling silver with citrine, and Silver Foil Chain Necklace in sterling silver by LISA EISNER JEWELRY, made exclusively for THE ROW, Splash Votive in bronze by LISA EISNER JEWELRY
