Katie Keith

Katie Keith

Livewell Guest Designer

In one of my first conversations with Claire, when she approached me about desiging a collection for Livewell, she asked what I thought was untapped in the jewelry market. At the time, I was looking for unique chains for my collection of pendants and enhancers. I would look for ones that were fun and funky, hoping to find them in different weights, lengths and metals, but could not find them.  Claire heard me and now I find them at Livewell, including the versatile Gold Ball Chain.   

What story do your stacked bracelets tell?

The combination of jewelry on my arm reflects my personality on different days. I mix pieces together, depending on how I feel. One day I will stack South Sea pearls on a leather strap with the oxidized cuff with gold hem stitching that I designed for Livewell. On a different day I will layer white gold with leather. Some days, I don’t wear anything.

What are you wearing today?

Today I am wearing a Livewell Diamond and Gold Link ID bracelet with a 14kt gold toggle close, the Gravel and Gold cuff I designed for Livewell, and an 18kt gold Cartier LOVE Bracelet and a Cartier Nail Bracelet, both gifts from my husband. It is all about color and texture today, and I am leaning toward pieces with an edge. I particularly love the combination of oxidized silver and gold – it pops.

How do you feel in your Livewell jewelry?

I feel empowered, chic, current, youthful, and a bit unscripted ;).

Speaking of unscripted, you have a great backstory. Can tell us how it led you to design for Livewell?

I didn't go to college right after high school. Rebellious at the age of seventeen, I moved out of my parent’s house and joined the Sheet Metal Workers Union Local 38 out of Peekskill. I learned how to weld and use tools. At night I took design classes. Then, I went to Rhode Island School of Design to study sculpture. In 2010 I got an advanced Master Gardener Certification through University of Connecticut. I am an artist who is drawn to reinvention. Claire knows that about me and asked if I’d be interested in collaborating on a capsule collection for Livewell.

What inspired the pieces in the Katie Keith Collection for Livewell?

I see the world through color, light, and lines. I am drawn to objects with a tactile quality and love that nature is full of texture. I found my inspiration through a love of the outdoors and in architecture - lines that are classic. I am inspired by visual images that are simple, clean, and strong. Classic is what endures. That’s where I start with my design, then I add or subtract. Nothing overdone.

What did you like most about creating your eponymous collection?

Expressing myself creatively makes me feel alive. And the connection to women who do what they do well, with their input on form and shape and texture, inspires me. I would not choose to do this alone. This was an adventure outside my comfort zone and I would do it again.