A Day with Jenny Dayco

When I first encountered Jenny Dayco at the Mondette/LA Vintage Exchange “Holiday Spree“, she was a cheery ray of sunshine on a rainy day.

I reached out to her for an interview and she gladly accepted.

I had the unique opportunity to learn more about Jenny Dayco as we started off the interview at her Hollywood studio.

As the day progressed, we grabbed coffee at a local Coffee Bean, browsed for some DVDs at Amoeba Music, and hit up a 24/7 newsstand to scan for the latest magazine issues of Foam and LA Confidential. The exuberant and bubbly Jenny Dayco made time pass by so fast I didn’t realize that we spent the majority of the day together.

Now onto the interview.

How did you get started into jewelry?

I used to work as a junior agent that represented for hair, makeup, and wardrobe here in LA. Being a naturally creative person, I made stuff for fun, made my own clothes, jewelry…made something because I was going crazy at my job. Being plus size and because plus size clothes sucked at the time, I had to make crazy jewelry. I didn’t know what to wear at my cousin’s wedding in 2004 that didn’t make me look like a old school teacher so I made a huge statement necklace. For a party at my friend’s boutique, Scout, I wore the same necklace and he said, “Did you make that? You should make jewelry for my store because I seriously like it.”  I thought to myself, “Why not?”

You said you’re a naturally creative person, where does that come from?

My family is Filipino and as immigrants they had a really poor childhood and they wanted to give me everything they didn’t have. I went to a theater school as a kid and they taught me everything about performing arts, music, and theater.  At the same time, my parents pushed me to do tap dance, ballet, baton twirling, and guitar and piano lessons. Some things did stick and some didn’t.

Where do you draw your inspiration?

It’s all instinct. I trained myself to go with what can I find, what’s available to me, and what can I make out of it. When I see a charm or a stone, I let it inform me what to do with it. I have this internal dialogue of where I see this amazing bead and I know I could totally bang out a huge necklace or make it as a bracelet.

After the initial appointment, you were able to get celebrities to wear your items and stylists to feature them in shoots. How did that come about?

Thankfully working at that agency, I was in touch with a lot of stylists. I’d be in the mix a lot and I’d meet with so many people and tell them what I did and I’d try to wear something I made. I would contact more stores and see who’s interested. There were several stores that were popular with stylists and through them I got a lot of press.

Prancers, floral shoe accessories

I saw that you had publicity in Japan? How did you make the jump internationally?

A woman from Raw Girls based out of LA met me at LA Market when my friend and I were doing this shoe accessory. It did well really over there (in Japan) and not so much here (United States). We kept it touch and she wanted my line on her site since the Japanese are super obsessed with celebrities, Hollywood…all that stuff especially Paris Hilton and the gossip girls. I sent out pictures to her and she sent them to her press contacts  in Japan. That was not me, it was all her.

How do you feel about having your jewelry worn by celebrities?

Unbelievable. It’s still like…what? It feels good because celebrities have a choice when they have so many free things thrown at them so for them to actually wear my stuff or purchase it, it’s amazing. Chanel is throwing them so much stuff and they choose my stuff? They’ve seen a lot more than the average person and because they choose it on purpose, it feels good. Not to elevate them but they’ve seen a lot and have access to a lot for free. So the fact that they paid for it or wear it for events, it’s encouraging.

What are the key pieces that you loan to celebrities and shoots?

Everyone calls me for the big statement pieces like the shiny, sparkly, cute things but big. That’s always the first thing. I get a lot for the rock and roll look. It’s all chunky, big, that’s what I’m known for. Not everyone can wear big pieces and I do make daintier stuff because it’s important to cater to everyone.

How do you see your brand grow? What’s in the future?

There’s so many things I want to do, but time is so limited. I’d like to branch out to accessories and headbands and sunglasses even before (the Mosley Tribes x Oliver Peoples collaboration) came out. I hope to continue to make beaded sunglasses but in a different style. I’ll try to experiment more so I can see where I can expand. I think with sunglasses, it will go on for a while. I would hope that at the next stage I would get into other department stores. I do it day by day really. In the next few years, I’d like to have an assistant.

10 Commandments necklace

What are your best sellers?

Let’s see…any of the filigree earrings in gold and silver. The crystal teardrop earrings in any color. I have these 10 commandment necklaces for a while and those sold really well. The heart locket bracelets. People love those jar necklaces with the star. I also have these huge filigree earrings that are almost all sold out!

What are some items that every women should have or wear?

I like to think of things in threes. You have your basic earring, you have your statement earring, and then, then you have your super statement earring. Like the filigree earrings, everyone needs a basic, wear-it-everyday earring that goes with everything. Then there’s the bold, more sparkly, and more fun but special occasion earrings like the teardrop earrings. And for the girl who wants to go past that, they can go for the super outrageous multi-tiered earrings.

Statement shell necklace

Your jewelry has a story. What do you mean by that?

What I like about making jewelry is that it creates a story for someone else. All these things will outlast me and there will be a memory attached to something I made and that’s really special. With single girls, when they get so many compliments on a piece all the time, they associate my jewelry with something positive and it makes them feel good. I like that.

There’s one piece my makeup artist friend wore while doing press junkets during Oscars. At the beginning of my career, my friend calls and says “God wants you to make jewelry, do you know who just talked to me?” She was wearing this shell necklace and in the elevator was Andre Leon Tally and Phillip Bloch. Andre says, “By God, what is that around your neck? It’s beautiful.”  He had to stop mid-conversation to comment and stare at the necklace. I will never forget that call.

What is your price point for your jewelry?

When I first started I did more expensive stuff, I capped at $300 retail. I always kept things affordable. It’s a wide range, it’s about $10-50 but a few is $60. The bulk is between $18-26 range. It’s cheap because I make everything myself.

Working on the Mosley Tribes x Oliver Peoples Limited Edition Lyndel Beaded sunglasses

Have you come across something that copied you and how does that affect you?

Forever 21 is notorious for knocking off local designers. It angers you, when they do knock off but they do pick pieces that are so behind me. I made that so many years ago and I’m done with that idea. It helps me stay on the edge where, thank goodness, there’s a billion ideas in my head that have yet to come into fruition so I’m a billion steps ahead anyway. It’s nice that I’m on someone else’s radar but I am capable of way more.

I make everything myself and it’s not mass produced. Certain people like that cache and will pay the extra for that. Certain people like things as they are and for very cheap like at Forever 21. You get what you pay for whereas I’m available for repairs, replacements, alterations, etc. I don’t want to work for 5 cents an hour. I price it as I see it fair. So it’s for people who really like what I have and want it.

You mentioned that accessories are size-less. Could you elaborate?

I think that being a plus size woman, options are limited. It’s expanded more lately but still limited. Finding that frustration pushed me to want to make jewelry. You and I can wear the same thing and that’s the beauty of it. All across the board, all sizes and all ages, it boils down to if you like it and if you can afford it. Women are fragile when it comes to their own body image and nobody likes to feel bigger or smaller than they need to. With clothing, there’s so much attached to what size you are and what fits you. With jewelry, there are so many options without feeling too small, too big, too anything. Everyone can wear jewelry but not everyone can wear the clothes that they want.  Jewelry is for everyone.

For more information about Jenny Dayco, go to:

• Jenny Dayco’s Shop
• Jenny Dayco’s Blog
• Jenny Dayco on Faceboook

Click below for more photos.

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Tagged as: accessories, celebrity designer, earrings, filigree earrings, interview, japanese fashion, jenny dayco, necklace, paris hilton tear drop earrings, religious jewelry, rock and roll necklaces, statement pieces