Designer Interview and Studio Visit: Sara Barner

I am so excited to have Sara Barner as the first subject for what will be a regular series of designer interviews and studio visits on Lovejoy. Sara Barner designs and makes her eponymous line of bags and jewelry here in her Portland, Oregon. Her aesthetic is refined and exquisite, each piece being a perfect version of itself, and expertly crafted out of the most beautiful materials. 

You can find a list of stockists on Sara's terrific blog or shop her online store. If you're lucky enough to be in Portland, you can visit her at her store in The Ford Building at 2505 SE 11th avenue. 

  

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Place of birth?

New jersey

Where did you grow up? What was it like? 

I grew up in a suburb in ne NJ.  It was a really small town, just 1 sq mile, so even though it
was just outside of new york city it definitely had a very small town feel.
 
How long have you been designing your collection? 

I've been designing the jewelry line for about 7 years and the leather line for about 5 years.
 
How did you get into it? 

I studied metalsmithing in college at Parsons in New York. During my last year of school I started working for a woman who had a leather shop in the east village, where she made sandals, bags, all kinds of accessories.  I worked for her for about 4 years, learning much of what I do now.  After leaving that job I took a jewelry course at Penland in North Carolina.  When I got back to New York I started designing my jewelry collection.  Two years later I added the leather collection.

What’s your work space like? 

I have a small storefront space in southeast Portland.  There is a little retail/showroom area in the front and my workspace is in the back.  Most of it is devoted to leather work, but there is a small space in the back for my jewelry work.  My boyfriend designed the space and built all of the furniture for me, so everything in it feels really personal.  I've also tried to fill it with as many plants as the limited sunlight will allow.  It's where I spend most of my waking hours. It is like a second home and I am constantly nesting. 

What kind of work routines do you have? 

I'm a terrible procrastinator, so I have to have a pretty strict schedule. I usually plan out my week on Monday. I have coffee and check emails first thing in the morning.  I look at some blogs, read some news and then start working on orders for the rest of the day.  Its really easy for me to get to my studio, start working and not go outside until I leave at night which is not great, especially when working alone.  I've started taking afternoon breaks and going for a short walk which has been tremendously helpful for productivity and sanity.

Are there references in art, nature, literature, film that influence your work? 

I can't think of any specific references.  I'm most interested in shapes and proportion in my work, so I'm always looking at that in nature, art, architecture.  I watched the documentary Jiro Dreams of Sushi a little while ago, which I really enjoyed for his passion and dedication to mastering his work every day.  Also "Christo's Valley Curtain" was really inspiring.
 
What’s your favorite part of your work and your least favorite? 

Working on new designs and finding new materials is always the most fun part.  I mostly
enjoy production, but it can become very tedious, specifically hand stitching. I hate it.

 

What do you do when you play hooky? 

My number one hooky destination is sauna at Loyly.  Sitting outside and having a beer is also good.
 

Outside of your work, what is your main interest or hobby?  

During the spring/summer I become pretty obsessed with gardening.  I am very much
a beginner but I really love it. 

What’s your favorite item of clothing?  

I have an over sized black cashmere cardigan that has become a part of my uniform in the last couple of years. It used to belong my boyfriend's grandmother.  Sadly, it had a pretty nasty moth attack.  I'm still in denial about it though. 

Favorite authors? 

alice munro, david foster wallace, per petterson, joan didion,...

What did you want to grow up to be when you were a kid? 

I can only remember wanting to be an artist.
 
How do you imagine your old age? 

I'm so inspired by women like Eva Zeisel and Louise Bourgeois who did what they loved until the end.  I want to still be making jewelry and gardening.  I'm sure there will also be cats.
 
What are you wearing? 

Thrifted jeans and T shirt and Nom and Ada Shoes.
 
Have you been told you look like someone famous? 

When I had short hair my nephew used to tell me I looked like Harry Potter.

Favorite gift you ever received? 

My sister gave me my two cats.

What was your favorite vacation? 

I think my favorite vacation always ends up being the last vacation I took,  In this case, that would be Iceland.