Soul-Searching...beaded jewelry with diversity – vintage, retro, classic and ethnic. Leslie Ann, designer of The Bead of the Soul caught up with us to discuss her line, the story behind the name and how singer Jessica Simpson ended up with one of her pieces….

Factiõ Magazine: What sets your jewelry line apart from other designers?
Leslie Ann: I think that what sets my jewelry line apart from other designers is the uniqueness of the components that I design with. I take special care in searching for special pieces and pairing them with different glass beads, Swarovski crystals and semi-precious stones. I offer many different looks within my jewelry line. I don't just do one thing. For example, my Fall line offers four collections; Vintage, Retro, Classic and Ethnic. Within these collections I bead, silk knot and showcase pendants on Hand-dyed silk. You can find something for all tastes and age groups.

FM: How do you get inspired?
LA: Concerning my jewelry, when I am creating my designs I look to the trends in fashion as more of a guide to textures and colors for a particular season. I really stay true to my "inner voice" which leads me on my own design path of what I feel will be a great look and in turn, my collections become both classic and fashion forward.

FM: What future do you foresee for your company?
LA: For the future of The Bead of the Soul I see a lot of growth. Not only in the desire to get my jewelry out there, but also personally from the experience of creating and running a business. I would like to see my collections in more specialty boutiques throughout the country. I would also like to expand my line to more Bloomingdales stores as well. Currently, I'm designing a web site which will hopefully help in reaching a wider clientele. I want to give women who love special jewelry a better opportunity to wear my designs.

FM: What’s in a name? Tell us how you came up with the name?
LA: The name 'The Bead of The Soul' took a while to figure out. I wanted the name to express my deep commitment to creating beautiful jewelry and I wanted it to stand out. I had heard the phrase 'the seed of the soul' before and one morning while watching Oprah, while my then infant son slept, there was a discussion about a book titled The Seat of the Soul. Both of those stuck in my mind for some reason and days later The Bead of The Soul was born!

FM: What do strangers say about your line?
LA: Admirers of a necklace or bracelet that I’m wearing at the time have repeatedly stopped me on the street. In some cases I have literally sold the piece off my neck with great joy and other times have given my card out so they could contact me and make an appointment to view my jewelry. I have quite a few repeat clients that I met just that way.

I also have many clients who come back to me with rave reviews! They tell me they can't believe how people stop them while wearing one of my pieces. They get stopped everywhere from restaurants to stores to events to people in other countries while they're vacationing!

I have a cousin Franne who is a songwriter in Los Angeles. She gets stopped all the time. She has given her own pieces to stars like Jessica Simpson after they commented on how they loved her jewelry. Just recently she wore a necklace to the BMI Awards in L.A. and got stopped by people. It is so exciting for me to hear these tales from my clients! I love it! I'm glad that my designs invoke so much positive response. It is so thrilling for me to have people like what I create!!

The Bead of the Soul can be found at Artist @ Heart 120 Old McHenry Road in Long Grove. Order at 847-478-9ART. Bloomingdales- Old Orchard Shopping Center, Skokie, IL 847-675-5200 and Pieces Art and Artwear 644 Central Ave. Highland Park, IL 847-432-2131.
Or, call the designer Leslie Ann directly at 847-955-0988.