Lara Kurtzman: The Alchemist of Wearable Art
From the theatrical world to the runways of New York and Miami, Lara Kurtzman has spent her career defying the conventions of jewelry design. A graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design, she began as a costume and set designer, crafting fantastical worlds for the stage before turning her talents to wearable art. Today, her brand Kelacala Q—housed in a Greenwich Village studio—stands as a testament to individuality, craftsmanship, and the rebellious spirit of New York City.
The Birth of Kelacala Q: A Rebellion Against the Ordinary
"I Was My Own First Customer"
Growing up on jewelry expeditions with her mother, Lara developed an early love for adornment—but a frustration with the industry’s lack of edge. "Everything felt over-branded and rigid," she recalls. "I wanted pieces that felt alive, that told stories."
So she became her own designer, creating one-of-a-kind pieces that caught the eye of Patricia Field, Mads Kornerup, and Gerard Yosca. Soon, her work was gracing magazines, films, and runways, and Kelacala Q was born—not as a corporate entity, but as an organic extension of her creative pulse.
"Forming the company was just a way to corral the chaos," she laughs. "The real drive was always the art."
Inspirations: A Pantheon of Mavericks
Lara’s influences read like a cross-disciplinary hall of fame:
Art: Florine Stettheimer’s whimsy, Frida Kahlo’s raw emotion, Francis Bacon’s distortion
Music: Janis Joplin’s soul, Prince’s audacity, Bowie’s metamorphosis
Fashion: Lanvin’s Alber Elbaz, Christian Lacroix’s baroque romance
Nature: Birds in flight, bioluminescent sea creatures, cosmic nebulae
"Inspiration is like breathing in the world," she says. "It’s a sacred exchange between you and everything that moves you."
The Kelacala Q Woman/Man/Person
They’re:
Unapologetically themselves ("I design for people who wear three necklaces at once—just because")
Storytellers ("Jewelry should be a conversation starter")Drawn to the mystical ("I love semiotics—how symbols carry meaning across cultures")
Challenges: Running the Business Without Losing the Magic
Creative vs. Commercial: "Staying innovative while navigating manufacturing contracts is a tightrope walk."
Retail Whims: "Department stores can be... eccentric partners."
The Big Picture: "You can’t let the minutiae drown the vision."
"But then," she grins, "I’ll see someone on the street wearing my work, or spot it in a film, and it all makes sense."
Lara’s New York
Favorite Boutiques (That Also Carry Kelacala Q)
Sucre (357 Bleecker St): "Candace Mohr has a radar for genius."
Ibiza (825 Broadway): "French bohemian dreams."
Jodi Arnold (56 University Pl): "Architectural elegance."
Patricia Field’s: "A black hole for credit cards."
Vintage Havens
Exquisite Costume (377 Broome St)
What Goes Around Comes Around (351 W Broadway)
3 Things She Can’t Live Without
Drawing materials ("My lifeline")
Camera ("To capture the world’s weird beauty")
Cayenne pepper ("Food is art too")
"I have infinite respect for indie designers," she says. "We’re the ones keeping fashion human."
Lara Kurtzman doesn’t just make jewelry—she forges talismans for the fearless. Whether it’s Ally Sheedy on screen or a stranger on 12th Street, her designs don’t just adorn bodies; they ignite identities.
