by Dina Di Maio

Cousins Negar Khaefi and Behnoosh Khalili brought their childhood play time passion of making beaded necklaces to life founding Dessa Designs.  Started in September 2002, the company is based in New York and Los Angeles.  This past December, the company featured its collection at David E. Kelley Studios holiday gift boutique, showcasing it to the cast and crew of The Practice and Boston Public.  You can catch a glimpse at www.dessadesigns.com.

DD:  Why did you start a jewelry line? Did you train in design?  Negar: I started becoming interested in jewelry design when I was
handcrafting pieces for another designer. I just kept looking at her designs
and thinking how beautiful they were, and that each piece was truly a unique work of art. I never formally studied design. I just try to match combinations of shapes and colors with beads that are pleasing to the eye. I do other forms of artwork such as painting and photography. My experience with those media has been helpful.

Behnoosh: I pretty much handle the business end of the operation. Negar and I complement each other with our strengths: I'm the incredibly organized, logical one. And she's the free-thinking artist with an eye for style.

DD:  Where do you get your ideas and how do you choose materials?  
Negar: The best way to get ideas is just browsing bead stores. I usually
start with a pendant that catches my eye and go from there. I have flipped
through magazines and searched other people's necks to see what people like to wear. It's important to keep up with in-season colors and styles as well.

Behnoosh: I actually have designed a few pieces, which have a more raw, industrial feel. I am drawn to more funky, crazy styles--not too cutesy or mainstream. Some might even say weird. I'm testing out a new line that will feature found objects, tentatively called our Hardware line. You can probably guess where I'll be scouting for materials!
 

DD:  Is there a theme to your work?
Negar: I love to find things that are unusual, different, and eye-catching.  I also like to arrange beads in creative ways. A lot of people say the pieces are very exotic.
 

DD:  Will you be adding to your line? What can fans expect in the future?
Negar: Yes, we will be adding to our line. Any new piece I create that we're both satisfied with will be added to the web site. I think that people can expect some outrageous, very daring designs in the future.

Behnoosh: In late August, we were able to bring our jewelry collection to the set of the ABC drama "The Practice." Through a friend, our jewelry was noticed by actress Camryn Manheim. She invited us to do a makeshift trunk show on the set, where she bought a number of pieces, along with Sharon Stone, who was on set for a guest stint, actress Rhona Mitra, and Camryn's wardrobe designer, who will be scheduling some of our pieces to appear on Eleanor Frutt this coming season. Some of the pieces they bought were one-of-a-kind exclusives, some already featured on the site, and some soon to be added. Negar and I sincerely appreciate their support.