With a fashion background from Parsons, Pamela Johnston, started out designing jewelry for herself and her friends. Lucky for us, she decided to turn her efforts into a full-fledged line, PLUME, and has just finished her third collection, "Being There." Inspired by the idyllic beauty of the California outdoors where she grew up, Johnston's pieces are feminine, whimsy, elegant, and at once wearable.

But this ode to the outdoors is nothing new. Johnston incorporates aspects of nature into each of her collections, from silk ribbons and cotton boucle to lacquered twigs, wood chips, dried flowers, and leaves, as she works steadily toward a more eco approach. Her signature accordion shapes, which she brings back every season, were her first foray into experimenting with new mediums that add beautiful texture to her work, and this season she does something similar with knots: "I can do so much with knots—I'm always looking for new ways of playing with texture and fabric."

A new mini collection for Rowena Sartin by Kristin Dickson (who happens to be one of her best friends), features wooden blocks and mod shapes and is noticeably different from her usual aesthetic, but serves to display her versatility as an artist: "I thought I would try and play with more of a geometric shape, drawing from the structured elements of her clothing, and go in a direction that didn't come natural for me."

If you've been waiting forever, like me, to replace your generic cubic zirconia studs with something more interesting, Johnston's sterling knot or leaf studded earrings prove just the thing: edgy, unique and finely-detailed—yet still simple enough for everyday wear. Her entire spring collection contains a range of pieces that beg to be worn. Whether it is an unobtrusive, casual piece or an elegant showstopper that you covet, the moderate price points will only further their inherent irresistibility!

PLUME is available at Roslyn, 2035 N. Damen Street, (773) 489-1311.

- Kristi Garced

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