Interview with Ann Dee Allen, editor of VintageStyle Jewelry magazine

Ann Dee Allen, editor of Bead & Button magazine, graciously answered several questions for me that I thought all of us would like to know about their newest special publication!

Jewelry&Beading: Over the last few years, interest in different vintage styles has grown tremendously. Why do you think this is?

Ann Dee Allen: We are seeing a resurgence of interest in the authentic and the creative in the same period. There is universal appeal for the authentic — a more inherent, lasting concept — and contemporary, creative ideas that say, “Take a look at this!” Current vintage styles value both ideas and blend them together.

J&B: What was in your mind as the mission for VintageStyle Jewelry magazine?

ADA: As with any idea that “sticks” after its initial conception, VintageStyle Jewelry developed as we worked on it. Initially, we noticed a widespread interest in vintage clothing and accessories, particularly embellished styles. It seemed clear that people wanted to learn how to create vintage-style jewelry using an authentic, personal approach. As jewelry designers, the editors are impelled to find different ways to use jewelry components. Keeping an eye out for vintage pieces or contemporary pieces that have a vintage appeal was natural for us. We thought our readers would like to take both old and new components and use them in their own creative ways.

In addition, as the complete beading resource, we simply could not publish an issue that left out information about finding vintage components, using older jewelry pieces, and tapping jewelry history. All of the project instructions and tips are as thorough as our Bead&Button magazine articles. In VintageStyle Jewelry, the article “Creating a collage à la Miriam Haskell” offers specific details about jewelry design. Our jewelry restoration article is loaded with information about how to care for your jewelry.

J&B: Do you hope to expand this special issue and perhaps some day have it become a quarterly magazine?

ADA: We will definitely watch reader response to VintageStyle Jewelry to gauge the demand for future issues. It was a challenging project for the editors, and we loved creating it. To see it in print is extremely gratifying. We’ll have to wait to find out what everyone else thinks. Whenever any of us has a passion for something, we stay awake at night and think about what we can do next. At Bead&Button, we often say, “What if we published a (story or publication) on . . . ?” If we could follow through on every idea, we would be thrilled!

There you have it folks! It’s up to us to let B&B know if we want to see more issues of this special publication!