Readers of this column have met Marty Casey- musician, singer, songwriter, jewelry designer, and environmentalist. Chicagoans know Marty not only as performer but mentor and friend. He's true 'Chicago' celebrity; famous but approachable, a leader in the industry, but willing to mentor those who might follow.
Those of us who follow Marty know about the "Silver Elements Collection"; the unisex jewelry that he's designed. There's usually a trunk show of his pieces prior to every concert, and there's always something new. I'm not talking about something machine made somewhere else, stamped with a celebrity name and marketed in mass here.
Marty and business partner, Marla Zegart are personally involved in the making of every piece from idea to design to creation; working with other individuals (craftsmen and craftswomen from all over the world).
You'll want to see the line -
If you want something that's fashionable but not temporarily trendy- If you want soft black leather and sterling silver, edgy design with a touch of rocker and more than enough class.
If you want personal service and careful attention to detail; from purchase, to packaging, to follow up- Marty and Marla handle all sales personally.
If you want to know that a portion of each purchase goes toward saving the environment-
“All items purchased from the Marty Casey Silver Elements Collection support the “Marty Casey Elements of Nature Fund” where every $ plants a tree in conjunction with American Forests “Global Releaf” Ecosystem Restoration Projects. American Forests (www.americanforests.org) helps people improve the environment with trees and forests. It is the nation’s oldest nonprofit citizens’ conservation organization”
If you want a meaningful piece of jewelry, a signature piece, which is tied to an original song written by Marty-
If you want the best quality for what you spend-
No piece is more than $200. The design philosophy is ‘Luxury for less’. I would agree.
For example, my favorite piece is the 18" W x 14" tote with the guitar hang tag that doubles as a key chain. This is a good sized bag made of quality black leather with silver stud accent for just under $200. In doing some research of my own, I’ve found that bags of similar size but with less detail and craftsmanship are selling for an average price of $495.
Marty also describes the collection as “The Silver Elements of Surprise” because there are always new pieces being created. It’s not only about Marty and Marla’s ideas. Fans make suggestions for new pieces. It’s very much a collaborative endeavor.
In hearing the story of how the “Silver Elements Collection” began, I learn it’s also about following your instincts, about attention to detail, and about building relationships.
Marla: “In terms of how this started, I was a fan of Marty’s, I started going to his band concerts, and I observed that Marty had a great sense of style, the fans would respond to him and to what he was wearing. And one day, after a concert, I approached Marty and began to tell him about my idea.
This is not characteristic of me- I’m aggressive in business but not on a personal basis. I told him he had a great sense of style, and asked him if he would think of doing something together.”
Marty: “I have a lot of people coming up to me to talk about ideas but listening to Marla, it was immediately clear to me that she had an idea and a working plan of how this would happen, and I said, ‘Let’s do it’.”
Marla: “So he said ‘Let’s do it’ and that’s all I needed to hear. We talked about ideas. My background is with the Spiegel Catalog and selling online. We didn’t want to do t-shirts because everybody does t-shirts. We came up with the idea of having the trees necklace, and then a similar item, the trees dog tag. We started with trees based on Marty’s song Trees that was such a hit on ‘Rock Star’. Then, we started thinking about what else would tie into a song. Marty’s song I See Stars tied into the universe pieces; the universe ring.
You know, there are a lot of celebrities who just attach their name to something but Marty is co-designer on this. It’s not just his name. He’s an integral part of the design process, the ideas; he’s very involved; he’s part of every single piece.
We try to make our pieces on trend but not trendy because this is an investment for people and they don’t want to wear a piece one season and then, it’s out of style. We have to be cognizant about that too.
We’re also doing wardrobe building with jewelry; you have this, and now, you can add this. This is a unisex collection- I’ve seen a husband and wife come to the trunk shows. That’s been fun because they both feel part of it and not left out.”
Marty: “The strength of the line is that it’s keeping the tie between fashion and music. When I have the opportunity to play music, I don’t necessarily want to be just in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. Maybe most performers would be, but I think t of it more as a performance, you know? You want to get up there and do this performance and you want to dress the part too; wear something unique to make yourself stand out, and when Marla came to me with the idea of beginning the line, she really understood that.
You like to stand out and do unique things and make something that’s completely your own. But really, the key for us is having the music being so connected to the jewelry because that’s our niche; that’s where we fit in, why we’re different.
Not many people are necessarily doing this. A well known singer and performer may have a designer line, but it’s usually not tied into their music at all. It’s tied into their name but not necessarily to what they’re about and who they are and what their music is about. So really fusing those and keeping those so tight; that’s the foundation of the line.
When we release a new piece, we have a piece of unreleased music that goes along with it too. I think that’s really where we’re having the most fun- thinking about how the piece ties into the music. That, and working with the community and people who back the line.
It’s more than the fan base. I mean, a lot of people we’ve gotten to know personally, and they’ve become a part of our lives. It’s kind of tying everybody in closer and closer and bringing it together, and I think having a charity at the root of it- It not only makes us feel good to know that we’re doing something, but it’s kind of nice knowing that there’s this real passion behind the line. It’s not all commerce- there’s really some good being done.”
Marla: “I think a lot of people like the idea of giving back in this economy too. Our philosophy is to offer great quality for affordable prices because every piece in the line is under $200. And the individual pieces can be used creatively. You can attach bracelets to become a necklace, there are reversible pieces, the scarf can be used as a belt. We really try to have a lot of value for what we offer.”
Marty: “It’s great to get the feedback from the fans in response to the line. When a piece arrives and they open it up;, it looks amazing, it feels amazing. It wears well and we stand behind it. And I think those people are maybe used to ordering something that when they receive it, it’s just not all that they thought it might be from a great picture or something.
We have a personal relationship with the people who craft the pieces. We’re dealing with individual makers and these relationships go half way across the world. Marla deals with individuals we’ve met. It’s easy to stand so proudly behind the design integrity and the construction of each piece each piece because we know it is well made.
The Museum Shop at the Art Institute carries our line. And these are people who don’t necessarily know the name ‘Marty Casey’ or have ever heard of me. They’re just seeing these pieces. And we’re selling so well there. This really makes us understand that the pieces are not selling just based on the name behind it or the imaging of the product.
Our philosophy is to continue the genuine community that we’ve created. People want to know who we are. People want to buy a piece from the line and be a part of the music, and have it be part of their lives and that’s exactly what we’re being a part of.
It’s not a line that we created and then, people buy it. It really is a community of people together, and they’re supporting the line because they believe in us.
We try to excite them, and to design pieces that they can work into their lives. It really is kind of a give and take between everybody. We definitely want to hear their opinions about how things work or about the moment they receive a particular item.
We want to hear their stories; be part of that excitement because they know we really do care about them, and we care that they’re including us in this part of the holidays or in any celebration or just the giving or receiving of a random gift. It’s great to be a part of that. It’s really about creating the community and not just an image.
I think the most exciting way to live is definitely having no fear. Over the course of the last few years, what has made my life interesting is just continuing to take on some big challenges; thinking it through before I make that initial decision but once I do, once I step into the ring, I put all I have into making it happen.
Making it work and just sticking together is important for any creative business. And then, standing behind what you do 100%. You need to believe in what you’re doing because that’s really what people are going to react to and connect to. Step into the ring and then stay with it.”
This is a personal recommendation. I've heard Marty perform. I've seen the "Silver Elements" Collection. Be sure to experience both in the New Year.
Event: Lovehammers
Venue: Metro- Chicago, IL
Event Date: February 12, 2011
Event Time: 6:20 PM - Doors Open: 6:00 PM
All Ages are welcome.
There will be a Trunk Show that afternoon, prior to the concert.
Stay tuned for more details about both events. In the meantime, you can learn more about Marty Casey and the “Silver Elements Collection” online.
For more information:http://www.silverelementscollection.com and http://www.martycasey.com
