 |
Kara RossJewelry designer
Country:
 USA |
Content:
- Biography of Kara Ross
- Early Life
- Career
- Kara Ross New York
- Recognition and Achievements
- Current Endeavors
- Personal Life
- Accolades
Biography of Kara Ross
Kara Ross is an American jewelry designer who has dedicated more than three years to working in the advertising industry, but it did not appeal to her taste. Her true calling became her hobby from her teenage years - creating jewelry. What sets Kara Ross' creations apart from the works of other American jewelers, and how did she manage to attract the attention of clients from the White House?
Early Life
Kara Ross was born in Malvern, a town in Pennsylvania. She was one of five children of local surgeon Edmund Gaffney and his wife Barbara. Kara created her first piece of jewelry at the age of 13, using a tourmaline she bought during a family safari in Africa. She later attended an elite school in Rosemont, Pennsylvania, where she became friends with another future star in the fashion world, Tory Burch. Kara and Tory are still friends to this day.
Career
Kara Ross obtained her first real job at Ann Taylor in a local shopping complex. After graduating from university, with her main specialization in English and an additional one in art history, Ross interned at various PR agencies and even worked at CNN for a while. She later moved to New York, where she landed a job as an advertising sales specialist at Harper's Bazaar in Manhattan. Kara worked in magazine advertising for three years before she took intensive courses at the Gemological Institute of America and became a certified gemologist. Instead of pursuing a career in academia, she launched her own line of jewelry.
Kara Ross New York
In 2003, Kara Ross founded her current company, Kara Ross New York. After some time, her creations, which were quite expensive, made their way onto the shelves of Bergdorf Goodman. Even then, Ross was known for her experiments, such as mixing traditional materials like gold, platinum, and diamonds with organic materials like black wood and maple. In 2005, Kara Ross introduced a line of luxury handbags made exclusively from exotic leathers and adorned with gemstone clasps.
Recognition and Achievements
Kara Ross' jewelry quality is best appreciated by examining the list of clients who have worn her exquisite pieces. Her work has been praised by Anne Hathaway, Kate Hudson, Alicia Keys, Demi Moore, Oprah Winfrey, and even the First Lady of the United States, Michelle Obama. Ross was commissioned by the White House to design a unique line of jewelry made from magnolia trees grown on the White House lawn. These pieces were intended as gifts for heads of state and retiring female government officials.
Current Endeavors
Kara Ross does not solely rely on Bergdorf Goodman for her business. She sells her products in Harrods, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdales, Henri Bendel, Scoop, and Intermix. She also exports some of her creations to Canada. Ross currently has exhibition spaces in both New York and London. She oversees three jewelry collections: Kara Ross Fine Jewelry, Gemstone Collection, and Kara by Kara Ross.
Personal Life
In 2003, Kara Ross married billionaire developer Stephen M. Ross. They currently reside in New York. Although they do not have any children together, both spouses had two children each from their previous marriages.
Accolades
Kara Ross received the Fashion Group International Rising Star Accessories Award in 2008. In 2012, she was honored with the Design Award Winner by the Jewelers of America Association.
