Diana Kauffman Designs opens newest location in Sewickley
Diana Kauffman recently opened her largest store to date in Sewickley — and retail wasn’t something she was interested in when she began creating jewelry for wholesale in a 500-square-foot studio on Division Street.
Today, she fashions each one-of-a-kind piece in her new spacious boutique, Diana Kauffman Designs, which opened March 4 in the space that used to house the Center for Young Musicians.
Using raw materials from all over the world, her necklaces, bracelets, earrings and rings are made in brass, copper, sterling silver and argentium, a finer silver than sterling. She incorporates leather details in some of the collections.
Kauffman said her mission is to be transparent with the supply channels and her research in knowing where and how things are made, and that the people making them are being paid fairly.
She specializes in custom-designed jewelry.
“Jewelry is personal,” Kauffman said. “I can make something as unique as the person wearing it, something timeless. I say that my jewelry never goes out of style.”
Kauffman isn’t a trend follower when it comes to her jewelry or the leather handbags she crafts in North Carolina, where she has a second boutique in Calabash. Most of the merchandise is sold in both stores.
She collaborates with clothing designers Angelrox and Cynthia Ashby and Italian-made Stivali boots.
“We are beyond trend in this store,” said Kauffman, former president of the Sewickley Valley Chamber of Commerce. “I tell customers our merchandise is timeless and you will be able to wear these pieces for years.”
She recalled in the early days, people dining at Café des Amis would spot her making jewelry through a window and knock on the door, asking if her pieces were for sale. That interest led her to create and display jewelry for purchase.
When her Division Street lease wasn’t renewed, she and her husband, Brad Kauffman — whom she made her first signature leather bracelet for — found a new space on Broad Street. Though slightly larger, it was a single-room setup, requiring Kauffman to work from a narrow 29-inch-wide catwalk above the floor.
She styled two mannequins in the front windows with her jewelry and pieces from her wardrobe. Once again, passersby knocked on the door — this time asking if the clothing was for sale. Though unplanned, she reached out to Angelrox, a sustainable apparel brand in Biddeford, Maine, and began selling clothing alongside her jewelry.
Still in search of a more functional space, she moved again when a Walnut Street location became available. There, she expanded her offerings to include pieces from Ashby, reinforcing her belief that clothing and jewelry are timeless works of art.
A lifelong artist, Kauffman is set to launch her own apparel line, DK, in late April. The collection features bamboo resort wear in sizes 0-18.
Kauffman focuses on “slow fashion,” which is producing clothes that last a long time versus “fast fashion,” inexpensive clothing that is tossed once it’s no longer on trend. She also is passionate about products made in the U.S.
Knowing where something is made and that it is being made for a fair wage is important to customer Janice Patz of Leetsdale. Patz said Kauffman has an amazing memory and will recall a piece she purchased years ago. She will tell Patz, “That piece you purchased a few years ago will go well with this new piece.”
“Diana does not let you make a purchase or leave the store without being 125% satisfied,” Patz said. “I get so many compliments and I feel confident in the clothing she sells. I like wearing clothing that is not mass-marketed. Her jewelry is eye-catching, and my daughters, who are grown, know where to go to buy gifts for me.”
Kauffman creates pieces in multiple sizes and can custom size and design a piece for women and men. With three times the studio space, Kauffman can expand her offerings in terms of classes and workshops.
Kauffman, who turns 50 next month, said she plans to host an ever-changing menu of creative workshops such as classes in 3D wall art, wood flower design, jewelry making and leather working.
The selling floor area is one-and-a-half times bigger than her previous location on Walnut Street, which gives her ample room to display her jewelry and handbag collections, clothing and boots. She also has additional space for doing permanent jewelry, in which jewelers measure and use a welder to attach chain links together while on a person’s wrist, ankle or neck, as opposed to using a clasp. She also can customize the permanent jewelry.
Kauffman designs the jewelry and metalsmith Samm Fuchs of Fox Chapel is the production lead. Fuchs also handles inventory, Kauffman said.
Fuchs met Kauffman at a class at Sweetwater Center for the Arts in Sewickley.
“Diana is not only my boss, but my friend,” Fuchs said. “She inspires me, and we feed off each other. We take pride in what we do here.”
Gia Annichine, an associate stylist from Pine, started a few weeks ago.
“I love working with Diana,” Annichine said. “She has such a bubbly spirit. She is so organized. I want to learn to make jewelry. There are so many opportunities to learn here. I enjoy helping customers find something they love.”
Kauffman said she never planned on opening a retail boutique in those early days in that 500-square-foot studio, but some things happen for a reason.
“It was 12 years ago when I was in that small space on Division Street making jewelry,” Kauffman said. “It wasn’t my plan to sell my jewelry out of that space, but I have always believed that God brings places and people into your life that should be in your life. I feel that way about my customers and my employees and Sewickley, which is a wonderful community. It is fun to have this studio to create, retail space and space to offer classes to the community. I want it to be a place where we can spend more time and engage with the community.”
Diana Kauffman Designs is located at 437 Beaver St., Sewickley. Hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sundays and by appointment.
Details: 412-259-8134 or dianakauffmandesigns.com
JoAnne Klimovich Harrop is a TribLive reporter covering the region's diverse culinary scene and unique homes. She writes features about interesting people. The Edward R. Murrow award-winning journalist began her career as a sports reporter. She has been with the Trib for 26 years and is the author of "A Daughter's Promise." She can be reached at jharrop@triblive.com.
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