Student
Jewelry Design Student Elizabeth Foo Praises Instructors For Their Expertise and Guidance
Born and raised in Singapore, Elizabeth Foo moved to Los Angeles two years ago to study Jewelry Design at FIDM. With the full support of her family, she is pursuing a career she is passionate about. One of her proudest accomplishments is completing her final sample case presentation in which she designed a 12-piece collection. She thanks FIDM Instructors Robert Ackermann, Jennifer Monroe, Steve Fuchs, and John Ahr for making her “experience here at FIDM an amazing one.” We caught up with her to learn more.
Tell us a little about yourself: I was born and raised in Singapore in a conservative household. When I first took art as a subject, my mother was strongly against it but soon started supporting me after learning how passionate I was in art. It's not often that you meet someone who aspires to be a jewelry designer in Singapore. Due to this, people are always surprised to hear that jewelry design is an actual career to pursue. I know of many people my age who are pursuing something that they were forced to do and are constantly unhappy with where they are at. For this, I'm so grateful for the endless support my family has given me. To be able to pursue what I love is such a blessing.
What is one of your proudest accomplishments? It would be my final sample case presentation here at FIDM where I’ve designed 12 jewelry pieces for my collection, called “The Wanderlust.”
What inspires you in your designs? My designs are primarily inspired by nature, Asian culture and motifs, as well as personal experiences. I create my pieces in the hopes that they tell a story where people could relate and feel a sense of nostalgia, sentimentality. I believe my designs serve as a reflection of my point-of-view, and a way to express myself.
Why FIDM? I made it my goal to accomplish my dream of pursuing jewelry design. In doing so, I came across FIDM while looking for a school that would best suit my needs. The program at FIDM gave me a chance to step out of my comfort zone and live abroad thus experiencing a new culture and environment.
Why Jewelry Design? I’ve always loved art as a kid. Besides this, growing up in a jewelry family, my mother’s passion for the jewelry industry sparked my interest in gemstones and jewelry design.
What was your favorite class? Metalsmithing was my favorite class as I was able to learn many different techniques as well as experiment with various metals and materials.
What are your career goals and how is FIDM helping you get there? FIDM has allowed me to develop the knowledge and skill sets that are essential in the jewelry industry. Through my journey at FIDM, I’ve learned to love the craft and hope to continue my mother's jewelry business and have my own brand some day.
I would like to thank my jewelry design instructors, Robert Ackermann, Jennifer Monroe, Steve Fuchs, and John Ahr for making my two years of experience here at FIDM an amazing one. Their expertise and guidance has allowed me to progress further on in my goal to become a successful jewelry designer.
Elizabeth Foo's "The Wanderlust" 12-piece jewelry collection includes three groupings: Batik, Flowers of Southeast Asia, and The Voyager, some designs of which are pictured below.
FIDM's custom-designed state-of-the-industry Jewelry Design Studio is in the heart of one of the largest jewelry districts in the world, and just blocks from our flagship Los Angeles campus.
Categories: Student
