Paula Mendoza: The Colombian Jewelry Alchemist Lighting Up New York
From Bogotá to NYC: A Journey Forged in Gold
Paula Mendoza doesn’t just design jewelry—she sculpts wearable narratives, blending her Colombian heritage with Manhattan’s electric energy. Born with an artist’s soul, she honed her craft at Washington’s Corcoran School of the Arts, where a course in “Jewelry as Sculpture” ignited her lifelong obsession with metal’s transformative power. But it was a pilgrimage through Peru’s ancient filigree workshops that crystallized her vision: jewelry as cultural torchbearer.
Today, from her NYC showroom, Mendoza orchestrates a brand that’s equal parts bold aesthetic and social mission. “I employ single parents in Colombia—many for over 12 years,” she says. “This isn’t just art; it’s legacy.”
The Paula Mendoza Ethos: Where Passion Meets Purpose
Signature Style
Architectural Drama: Cuffs that mimic Andean rock formations, rings that coil like Amazonian vines
Material Alchemy: 18k gold, oxidized silver, and uncut gemstones that celebrate raw beauty
Cultural Hybridity: Pre-Columbian motifs meet NYC edge
“I mix vintage finds with modern lines,” she says of her personal style. “Why match when you can collide?”
Muses & Motivations
Diana Vreeland: “She taught me style is personality set free.”
Travel: “Peruvian textiles, Mumbai’s chaos, Parisian rooftops—it all seeps into my work.”
Happiness: “Making others glow. That’s the real luxury.”
The Creative Process: Lightning in a Bottle
Mendoza lives by David Lynch’s mantra: “Creative moments are fleeting—act.” Her studio walls are plastered with napkin sketches, airport doodles, and midnight epiphanies. “I’ll see a cracked sidewalk or a bird’s nest, and suddenly—bam—it’s a necklace.”
From Idea to Heirloom
Spark: A Lima market’s hammered copper bowl → morphed into a cuff
Sketch: “I draw like a madwoman until my hand cramps.”
Collaborate: Her Bogotá artisans translate visions into hand-forged realities
Wear: “When Iris Apfel wore my piece, I cried. That’s the magic.”
Why Paula Mendoza Matters
Slow Luxury: Every piece is handmade by generational craftspeople—never mass-produced.
Radical Joy: Her designs demand twirling, laughing, living loudly.
Conscious Glamour: “True beauty should lift people, not just adorn them.”
Paula’s World: Snapshots & Soundtracks
Instagram: @paulamendozanyc (“My digital sketchbook”)
Snapchat: “For unfiltered peeks into my caótica hermosa life.”
Song Crush: “Paradise Circus (Gui Boratto Remix)” by Massive Attack (“It’s my creative jet fuel”)
Paula Mendoza is more than a designer, and personal inspiration of mine,—she’s a force of nature. For those who believe jewelry should tell stories, spark revolutions, and hold souls.
Explore her universe:
Paula Mendoza - Jewels that are sculptures
Follow her rhythm: Instagram
Interview by Leila Antakly
