When I was a tween I was obsessed with reading scary stories. One of my favorites from this genre was 'More Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark' from which the retelling of the girl with the red ribbon story appeared. Something about the untying of the woman's lifelong secret, the mysterious red ribbon, and her head finally tumbling to the ground has enticed young girls across generations. This choker is inspired by that story, its aesthetic and antiquity.

Lucious red velvet ribbon, vintage chandelier crystal, faceted crystal, and sterling silver makeup this statement choker. I am proud of the execution of this series of velvet chokers, as I used all basic materials, no pre-made ones, to assemble the finished pieces. The design process to create the various pieces proved to be more challenging than the actual execution of creating them. I built the metal frame for the pendant and the attachments for the ribbon end caps/clasps from basic sterling sheet and wire. The rare shape, size, and design of the faceted vintage chandelier crystal allowed me to suspend the pendant in an interesting and unique way. The red velvet ribbon is sourced carefully from a beautiful textile shop in Nashville (and the legendary Manuel happened to be shopping for his fabric at the same time!).

Materials: velvet ribbon, vintage chandelier crystal, sterling silver, faceted crystal