Life and Work with Andrea Li

Today we’d like to introduce you to Andrea Li.

Andrea, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
As far back as I can remember, I’ve always had an obsession with jewelry. Not just any jewelry, but fantastical jewelry. The bigger, shinier and more sparkly the better. Growing up in a conservative household where there were firm rules about flamboyant self expression, jewelry became a sort of forbidden fruit.

I can recall on one rather dreary morning, after making our usual trek down the mountainside to catch the school bus on it’s route to the main road, I got on board and settled into the stiff faux-leather bench seating. Excited to finally be away from the glaring eyes of my parents, I pulled out the biggest most ostentatious pair of earrings that I had managed to sneak out of the house earlier. I proudly put them on and instantly felt ‘cooler’ as a result. I didn’t really understand it at the time, but what I had discovered in that moment was the transformative effect that jewelry has.

I was hooked.

Making jewelry became my creative home. A place I would always go back to throughout my life to escape the mundane, to exercise my creative muscle, to explore new concepts and to even be saved at times. It was a utopia away from the world where I could truly just be me.

In a way, making jewelry chose me before I had the chance to choose it. Then in 2008, I took the opportunity to explore the business side and develop what was previously a self-indulgent endeavor into something to be shared with the world – or at the very least, something to be shared locally here in Denver.

Working at a coffee shop in the heart of the Santa Fe Arts District I began to tirelessly build my brand. While networking with the numerous artists that regularly needed their daily dose of caffeinated beverages, I started attending as many art openings, galas and magazine launch parties that I could. Often times, as many as 4 or 5 events a night on the same day I opened the coffee shop at 7am. I went to any cultural event that would put me in front of an audience of like-minded folks in order to publicize my newly found purpose.

Eventually, the art world unfolded into the fashion world, which would become a sort of homebase for my art. What started out as collaborations with other designers to accessorize their runway collections turned into opportunities to feature my own collections.

The editorial qualities of my work led to regular stylist pulls for magazine features, and invitations to participate in curated jewelry exhibitions in amazing places like New York City. But the best part was the community of other industry peers that I connected with throughout my journey. To this day, I still consistently and exclusively work with these talented people on creative projects.

Now, during a time where everything seems to be going online, and storefronts are becoming websites, my focus has shifted towards digital marketing to an obsessive level. Studying under top industry leaders, I’ve managed to take a deep dive and familiarize myself with the ever-expanding universe of what it means to be a marketer in the modern world.

My knowledge of digital marketing along with my understanding of the ability it has to make a jewelry brand go global,  has led to an opportunity to be a coach for one of the largest online educational schools specifically for jewelry designers – Flourish and Thrive Academy. In addition, I’m working closely with the Pinterest development team for new features to their platform and will be speaking at their annual employee conference, Knit Con this year.

Although art is my first love, I’m drawn to marketing as the component that can amplify the exposure of art. Digital marketing has settled nicely as a big part of my story going forward. It is my hope that I can help creative people like me to succeed in this ever-changing landscape of how the world discovers art.

Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Pursuing anything, especially something creative, will always come with risk. And embarking on anything risky will certainly create challenges. I have encountered financial loss, imposter syndrome, feelings of being overwhelmed, listening to bad advice, trusting the wrong people but most of all I have faced fear. Fear of failure, technology, my abilities and basically anything with an uncertain outcome – which is basically fear’s job. What I‘ve learned is that my instincts have an elegant way of wrangling fear and placing it gently in its proper place – as a companion rather than a guide. Whenever I have faced fear head on instead of working to eradicate it, I find that I make the most progress forward.  It can be a companion on your journey. Don’t try to eliminate it, because fear, for all of it’s obvious downsides, plays an important role. It often points towards things with the biggest upside that carry the biggest risk. When you commit to doing the hard work on high risk endeavors you diminish the outcome of liability, leaving only the benefits as a result of your efforts. So place fear in the backseat and go about your business. Push through new experiences with fear as your passenger. Those are the experiences that will end up contributing the most to your growth. They will give you confidence to tackle the next struggle – and the next. Eventually, these struggles form a path to success, providing the tools to handle all other challenges. Aim to live a life that is more strongly driven by curiosity than fear!

Please tell us about Andrea Li Designs.
I create one-of-a-kind limited collections of jewelry. These are exclusive collections, because once they sell out, they’re gone forever. Each anthology is inspired uniquely by nature, mythology, astrology, history and more. Being timeless and seasonless, these heirloom-quality pieces are sure to be the centerpiece of any modern woman’s wardrobe.

I am most proud of the ability for my jewelry to create human connection. Encompassing everything from my collectors and wearers of my art, to runway show productions, shoots, engagement with social media followers, conferences, live events, charitable organizations, relationship building with influencers and industry peers and so much more. Art has the  distinguishing trait of connectivity within it. Art brings people together – shared interests or not. It democratizes the human experience by participating in the cultural conversation that pushes civilization forward.

Manufactured brands and fast fashion are the standard in a world driven by commerce. We are overrun by products that are unremarkable and meant for mass appeal. My brand is not for the masses, but rather those who are on the edge of the curve. My jewelry is meant for a focused audience, and is the antithesis of that which is merely popular. I want to capture the imagination of free thinkers and wayfaring souls, of which the status quo simply won’t satisfy. It is for those who are brave enough to embrace their unique nature and who are confident enough to be a pink flamingo in a sea of pigeons. My brand is different because it’s not like other brands. It doesn’t need to be accepted by all, just the few who say : “I get you.”

Who have you been inspired by?
I know it may seem cliche to say, but my mom! Sure, there are plenty of amazing business women who have impacted my career in big ways, but none that have had the lifetime persuasion other than my mother. She taught me to have heart, and be the best possible version of myself. Sure, this ideal may to come up short at times, but these fundamentals have always been there to guide me. Lastly, perhaps her biggest influence has been to encourage me never to give up – no matter how much I want to in the moment. Trust me, there have been numerous occasions for her to exercise her cheerleading abilities and Jedi mind tricks in my delicate states. It’s the natural plight of any artist to be inclined to throw in the towel at times – but my mom was always there to pick up that towel and hand it back to me, stating “Not today my dear.”

Pricing:

• My price ranges are pretty varied but most pieces tend to fall within the $250-$850 range

Contact Info:

• Website: https://andreali.com/
• Phone: 7202926028
• Email: andrea@andreali.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/andrealidesigns/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/andrealidesigns/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/andrealidesigns
• Other: https://www.pinterest.com/andrealidesigns/overview/
• Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/andrealidesigns/

Image Credit:
Photography – Nicole Marcelli, Hair and Makeup – Mel Akana McIntosh, Models – Jessica Naz and Caitlin Badinger

Getting in touch: VoyageDenver is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.