Zoe Dale has been creating jewelry since she was nine. Now in her senior year, Dale’s passion for meaningful jewelry has only grown. Creativity is a lifelong component of the former art major’s personality. Now, she cites frustration with the lack of quality jewelry in stores as her push to turn something she had always viewed as a hobby into a business.
“The thing that makes you ask someone where they got it, that gets you that interested — it’s always a piece that is unfindable, one-of-a-kind,” she said.
One-of-a-kind could also appropriately describe Dale and her process. She digs through antique stores. She chisels pieces of amethyst off larger stones for necklaces and bracelets. She wraps wires and stamps letters on charms. She does marketing and manages a brand Instagram and Etsy page. Her products are packaged with a label she designed: a running rabbit, blindfolded, encircled by a ring of flowers. Bold letters read: BLIND RABBIT. The logo is originally a tattoo idea she conceived for herself, drawing from a series of experiences in her life, including being vegan for two years. All of her materials are sourced from local businesses. Specifically, she purchases from Swift Water Beads & Jewelry in Columbia. Because she knows their product’s origin, she's certain that it comes from ethical suppliers.
Dale shows us that jewelry can make powerful statements. A hand-stamped metal charm reads GIRL GANG. She explains, “I’m really passionate about feminism and equal rights, and I think Girl Gang is a really cool concept and way of just getting it out there and showing the world where you stand.”
We had a conversation about how it was recently discovered that the clothing brand Zara has been selling pieces nearly identical to accessories produced by indie brands like Blind Rabbit. Dale commented that, while it was poor business practice on the part of Zara, it only goes to show that the demand is there for unique pieces produced by artists like her.
Dale’s jewelry is art, not just a product. It is carefully crafted to last a lifetime, not a fashion cycle. It is deeply personal, whether rebuilding pieces from her great-grandmother or creating custom pieces with materials significant to the customer. In terms of her future, Dale wants to expand Blind Rabbit and improve her skill, potentially abroad, and always with a mind to increase the originality of what she makes.
“I don’t think I will fully feel like an artist until I know how to solder, to wax cast, until I’m creating everything," she said. "Once I can do that, then I’ll feel like an artist, and I can’t wait for that.”
Dale’s jewelry can be found at Sid Nancy and at etsy.com/shop/TheBlindRabbit
