{INSIDE THE STUDIO} Tarina Tarantino's Sparkle Factory

I am not going to pretend to be super cool about it. A few weeks ago, I got a follow request from Tarina Tarantino on my preferred social network (Instagram), and soon an e-mail in my inbox followed, and I completely fangirled. Continue...
After an amazing lunch at Bottega Louie in Downtown LA (where I made sure to pick up a couple of boxes of colorful macarons to go), I headed over to Tarina's Sparkle Factory, nestled in the heart of old, historic Downtown LA. Though mostly ignored, especially during my tenure in Los Angeles from 1986 to 2004, DTLA is going through a major renaissance, with luxury lofts lining the skies, award-winning restaurants pulling in patrons from the west side, and art galleries and hotels cropping up left and right. 

Tarina foreshadowed DTLA's revival, purchasing the building that now houses her Sparkle Factory over 5 years ago - long before the ACE Hotel made plans to be her neighbor. The Sparkle Factory is the headquarters for all Tarina Tarantino operations, from jewelry to cosmetics to crafting and DIY via her new book, The Sparkle Factory: The Design and Craft of Tarina's Fashion Jewelry and Accessories. 

As I walked through her studio, talking about the city we both called home, her modeling days in Paris, our reverence for historic LA, and the universality of costume jewelry as a key component in affirming style, I finally confirmed all the reasons why I had started to obsess over her wares over a decade prior. Tarina is a person who truly understands that regardless of body, or appearance, or race, or means - everyone deserves the right to feel glamorous, and throwing a bit of sparkle on something can provide just that validation. 

Now, Tarina is imaging up some amazing new projects in her downtown Sparkle Factory; a new line of sunglasses (seriously, how rad are these?), even more amazing collaborations (remember her work with Barbie and Hello Kitty?), and a new experiential component of the Sparkle Factory... something I cannot wait to see come to life.

{SHOP TARINA TARANTINO FAVES}