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The Design Dialogues {Emily Maynard}

If you're anything like me, you're utterly infatuated with Elva Fields' darling jewelry. The designer, Emily Maynard, incorporates vintage baubles into each new design and the results are nothing short of extraordinary. I'm excited to have Emily here today to answer the Design Dialogues questionnaire about how she got her start in design, how she'd advise aspiring creatives, and what's next for her budding business!

Emily wearing one of her beautiful designs!

Who you are:
Emily Wheat Maynard

What you do:
Unofficially: a million things at once. Officially: founder and designer, Elva Fields.

Where you do it:
Taylorsville, Kentucky.


Five words to describe yourself...
Interested, busy, happy, driven, particular.

How do you define your aesthetic?
Colorful, whimsical, vintage.

Who are your style icons?
My grandmother, Tory Burch, Lauren Hutton, and Grace Kelly.

A peek into Emily's vintage collection from her feature in Matchbook Magazine.

Favorite quote:
"Count it all joy."

Favorite site:
Weather.com. Kentucky is infamous for 70 degrees and snow all in the same week so I always like to know what's in the forecast!

Favorite store:
Any and every flea market, antique mall, or vintage shop.


How did you decide that you wanted to design jewelry?
After spending years in the library during graduate school researching the history of jewelry, I realized how much I missed making things. So I combined a love of research with a love for creating — et voilà, Elva Fields was born! 

What is the best advice you've ever received?
"If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting" — in support of change and innovation from my business advisor Jerry.

And the advice you'd offer aspiring creatives?
Cultivate your creative skills every single day. It takes both talent and discipline to make it a business.

Where the magic happens!

Three items on your to do list... 
Finish writing long-overdue thank-you notes, frame that artwork, be a better person each day.

Three items on your wishlist...  
A fireplace, more time, a French easel.

Three items on your bucket list...
Taking my daughters on a girls trip each year, a two-week trek in Peru, surf camp.

- - - 

I love her style icons and her favorite quote, "If you keep doing what you're doing, you'll keep getting what you're getting." Thank you so much for joining us, Emily!



9 comments:

Will @ Bright.Bazaar said...

"Frame that artwork" I hear ya on that one! Great interview.

Meg Little XO said...

Those necklaces are amazing and Emily is just too cute!

Unknown said...

Thanks for the intro! Emily seems so lovely and can't wait to visit more of her amazing designs.

KristiMcMurry said...

Great interview! I love her designs...just gorgeous.

Clare C. Whitaker said...

Love the post today, Emily seems adorable and is incredibly talented! I love all of her jewelry. Classic with a bit of twist. Colorful, big, and fun pieces accessories are always my favorite! Have a wonderful Wednesday xoxo http://twirlingclare.blogspot.com/

Kate {domestikatedlife} said...

Great interview, I love her work!

viv said...

Great interview and absolutely stunning jewelry!

Tommy said...

Very interesting perspective!

And Tennessee is about the same, weather-wise, as Kentucky. I can confirm Emily's reports.

Meredith said...

Very inpsirational! I also loved "be a better person each day" - how beautiful.