Biting into PoisonAppleNYC + GIVEAWAY

I'm a girly girl and I'm not embarassed to say that hearts, rhinestones, pearls, and shiny gold things make me kinda giddy, and my latest online discovery caters to this girl-centric side of me. This cute little boutique Poison Apple NYC has an aesthetic much like the chunky, funky, charm-adorned jewelry from Betsey Johnson and Juicy Couture, except most of these pieces are one of a kind. From chain necklaces to cascading earrings, all the PoisonAppleNYC pieces glitzy and flirtatious--perfect for girls' night out! Check out my interview with Jonelle of PoisonAppleNYC and some of my favorite pieces!



What is your name? Where are you from?
My name is Jonelle Maira and I am originally from Rochester, NY but I've spent 1/3 of my life living in NYC which is where I first started this label.



Tell me about Poison Apple! How did you come up with the name?
The name seemed to perfectly describe the style of my jewlery, it is something feminine but with an edgy side. Girly and tough at the same time, so Poison Apple seemed to sound right for the look and aesthetic of my website.



Is this a full time endeavor or part time hobby? How long have you been running PoisonApple?
It started out as a hobby to do on the side while I was working full time at other jobs, with the intent to turn it into a full time endeavor if things started to go my way. It is currently my full time job. I first started selling on my website (http://poisonapplenyc.com) under the name Poison Apple in 2003. I later joined etsy to use as another outlet to have my designs seen.



Describe your creative process. Where do you get your materials? What are some of your inspirations?
I am inspired by all kinds of things but I'd say I mainly concentrate on being aware of what is currently on trend and working with that to come up with pieces that are in style but also my own in some way. I take note of what jewelry trend seems to be selling well and what is popular by reading magazines and blogs and keeping up with runway shows by perusing style sites. I have a little notebook that I jot down all my ideas in and sometimes I'll sketch out a quick design so I don't forget it later. Then I basically just pull out all the materials I'll need for that particular design and I'll make it. Some ideas take a while to feel finished while others come together easily. And because most of my pieces are one of a kind, I use a lot of vintage materials that I source out from various places.



I noticed you were formally trained at NY’s FIT! How did you become interested in design?
I've always been interested in design since I was a little girl, it had always been my dream to go to "art school" in NYC and one day become a designer of some sort. Jewelry had always been a passion of mine and it all came together sort of organically over time.



Why jewelry over clothing?
I think of jewelry as “mobile art” because each individual piece is one of a kind and unique and the people wearing it are walking around and it is getting seen by different people every day. So it is like art that's traveling around to a new audience each time it is worn.



What kind of girl do you imagine wearing your pieces? How often do you wear your own designs?
I'd imagine the girl who wears my pieces is very into fashion and has a unique sense of style. She probably likes to make her outfits unique by accessorizing with bold statement jewelry and she enjoys knowing that her friends can never have the same one because it's one of a kind. I wear my own jewelry from time to time, but mostly I wear pieces that I created specifically for myself.





AlphaBetaChic x Poison Apple NYC
Fashion Giveaway Rules

To ENTER
+1 Visit Poison Apple NYC HERE and tell me what's your FAVORITE ITEM
+1 Follow my blog via Google Friend Connect HERE

For EXTRA Entries
+1 Add Poison Apple NYC to your favorite Etsy sellers (include etsy username)

+1 Heart as many of your fav items in the PoisonAppleNYC ETSY store (+1 entry for each item you heart, include item link)

+1 Comment on any of my older outfit posts (but not limited to) here, here, here, here, here, or here (+1 for each comment, include post name)

+1 Blog, Twitter, Facebook this giveaway as many times as you like (+1 entry for each, include links)
For Twitter use "Win a @PoisonAppleNYC necklace worth up to $75 on @PresidentP3's fashion blog http://bit.ly/PoisonAppleGiveaway!"

+1 Add me to your blogroll (include blog url)

+1 Fan Poison Apple NYC on Facebook

+1 Follow @PoisonAppleNYC on Twitter

+ Follow me on http://twitter.com/poisonapplenyc

Don't forget to post a separate comment here for EACH entry!!! You can enter as many times as you like!

*Please include links to your blog post, twitter/facebook status, etsy username, email, or PoisonAppleNYC product page when necessary so I can verify your entry and/or contact you if you win!!!*

Open internationally. This giveaway ends on June 7 at noon! Good luck!

[[UPDATE 06/08/10]] Thank you for participating in the AlphaBetaChic x PoisonAppleNYC Fashion Giveaway! The giveaway and comments section are now closed. Please check out this week's giveaway :)

[[UPDATE 06/09/10]] The lucky winner was Jenn! Congratulations!