Alumni

Clarisse De Los Santos

Jewelry Designer, De La Luna
Graduate, Jewelry Design / Merchandise Product Development

In December of 2015, Clarisse De Los Santos was doing some holiday shopping for friends. She fell in love with delicate hand chains made of gold and diamonds, but thought the $400 price tag was steep. "Then it hit me; the hand chains were simple and I was more than capable of designing and making my own pieces," she says. "I absolutely love the elegance of open back dresses and unexpected details, so I created a few back necklaces for special occasions."

Before she knew it, her designs were taking off thanks to Pinterest. "I didn’t realize that with this one photo I would eventually ship pieces to Australia, London, and Paris," Clarisse says. "I never imagined that brides from all over the world would chose my piece to wear on the most important day of their lives. For that, I am forever humbled and grateful."

Clarisse's jewelry label, De La Luna, has since been featured in Perfect Wedding Magazine, Junebug Weddings, and 100 Layer Cake, among other publications. The designer is inspired by her Los Angeles neighborhood and its community of artists. "I’m surrounded by writers, painters, sculptors, and musicians who inspire me in unexpected ways," she adds. "The neighborhood is also home to lots of vintage clothing and furniture shops that spark ideas for me."

She says FIDM's Merchandise Product Development Program allowed her to learn a wide range of business tools, including the opportunity to design apparel and accessories. "The most crucial skill I learned was CAD (Computer Aided Design)," she says. "We spent three semesters focusing on Adobe Illustrator and I still use those tools today."

Please Note: The information contained herein was confirmed at the time of original publication.

Categories:  Jewelry Design Alumni