The “It” necklace: K Ritt has it
February 26, 2009 by Raj Singh
Filed under W. Accessories, W. what to wear
All the major departments of a typical fashion business can be found in just one single woman, Kim Rittberg, owner of k ritt jewelry. This accessories powerhouse handles it all—design, production, sales, and pr—with a healthy dose of nonchalance and an equal amount of spunk. Her handmade jewelry sells extremely well at Bendel’s exclusive trunk shows at least once a month; the response is always a hit with woman of all ages.
“I start by designing for myself and that always seems to pique people’s interest,” says Rittberg. She would design and wear her own creations around New York City to combat the ennui she often felt with what she already owned. Eventually “people started to stop me on the subway and ask me where I got the necklace I was wearing.”
Rittberg’s design process and her stumbling into a business of her own was a natural progression. “Flying by the seat of my pants,” as she puts it, Rittberg has adopted a bricolage-like method to create beautiful, delicate pieces with whatever materials she has lying around. Her work is extremely thought-out—showing a refinement well beyond her four years in business.
Founded in 2004, k ritt is relatively new; yet Rittberg’s passion art is much more longstanding. As a student at UPenn, Kim majored in art history and really took an interest in the analysis of art, its context, and how it fit into our lives today. Combining a love for aestheticism with travel, however, is what really made Rittberg’s creativity take flight. After a yearlong tour of culture-laden, inspiring countries like Laos, Cambodia, Fiji, and Australia, Rittberg was moved.
“I wanted to be able to combine the traditional elements of each place I saw—things like landscape, color, and cultural identity—with a more modern feel.” The result is jewelry far removed from any native crafts or souvenirs but is instead imbued with sentiments of the wearer’s citizenry in a global village.
Delicate, considered pieces like asymmetrical pieces like asymmetrical necklaces, her signature style, and filigree wrap necklaces are clean, sophisticated, and understated. For Rittberg it’s all about taking old materials and reworking them to speak to today’s customers.
Rittberg’s jewelry isn’t trendy or seasonal and that’s exactly what customers need today. Exquisite, handmade pieces with history, touched with the loving hands of an artist. Rittberg also customizes jewelry for those “who have an eye for something but can’t necessarily make it themselves.” The effect is unique, wonderfully crafted jewelry that speaks volumes in emotional quality. And with the economy flat-lining the way it is, most of k ritt’s price points cap out at $300—that’s a comforting thing.
Is Kim worried about the economy? No, she says, “there will always be a fashion industry.” Indeed. And with optimism and gusto like Rittberg’s, k ritt’s baubles are a refreshing addition to shoppers’ trousseaux today.
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