The Best Blooming Hair Accessories for Brides | Emma Katzka pivots from her signature crystals and gems to create a line of exquisitely hand-painted wedding accessories
Emma Katzka (EmmaKatzka.com) set up shop in Charleston four years ago after the New York transplant and her husband set out on a hunt for their perfect coastal city. Following that move, the artist (she previously designed accessories for Elie Tahari and Urban Outfitters) became the belle of the bridal ball thanks to her boho-chic accessories. Her pale rock-crystal crowns and daintily gilded goddess sashes have graced the pages of Cosmopolitan and Brides, landed on BHLDN.com, and starred on many a savvy bride-to-be’s Pinterest board. Like any creative, her aesthetic is ever-evolving, and her latest collection,
Beautiful Ruins, proves that the Holy City’s influence is strong.
“I gravitate toward many of the colors we see here in architecture and nature,” says Emma. “I’m constantly in awe of how the two intermingle here, down to the tiniest vines crawling up our colorful walls.” That marriage of old and new, bold and fragile is behind this year’s release of the 20-something pieces she’s crafted with brass blooms made from vintage molds and painted by hand.
Working from her downtown studio, Emma and her production assistant make every hair clip, pair of earrings, and headband to order with a lead time of three to four weeks. Prices range from $38 to just shy of $600; custom looks start at $300. As for those who remark on the style departure of the new baubles from her old? “I have always loved playing with contrasting aesthetics,” she says, “tough and feminine, organic and geometric, antique and fresh. I really tried to get those contrasts into this new collection and bring boho to a new and more modern place.”
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