inspired by ...

SOPHIE BUHAI

photography by  GILLIAN GARCIA
written by  AMELIA FLEETWOOD

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AFTER 10 YEARS of living in New York City and spending time at an artist’s residency in Italy, where she dreamed up her jewelry collection, designer Sophie Buhai has relocated to her native Los Angeles. She bought a house in Silver Lake and transformed it into a striking home, garden, and studio. While appointing her new space, she “became captivated by the L.A. lifestyle” all over again—and realized that passion into an extension of her brand. She started designing interiors for friends, which progressed into creating interiors and objects, in addition to jewelry.

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Always drawn to pure sterling silver, Buhai’s covetable collection is minimalist and modern with an earthy twist. “I tapped into the strong silver heritage of the West, including both the Native American and Mexican traditions. I feel very connected to this history,” she says. Using visionary jewelry designers as inspiration—she cites Robert Lee Morris, Elsa Peretti, Art Smith, Betty Cook, and William Spratling, to name a few—Buhai takes that craftsmanship to a modern place. “Some- times the vintage shapes are a bit outdated,” she explains. “I wanted to see a new take on them—and I did just that.”