RiNo Launch Party Pics
The last few months have been a whirlwind at Abby Sparks Jewelry. In the fall, after teasing it in our Instagram Stories, we officially announced that we were moving from our home of 2 1/2 years in The Highlands to a new design studio in the River North Arts District (RiNo) neighborhood. It was a major move: it’s not easy leaving the comfort of the space where we’ve built the business, created relationships with our clients and expanded our team. We loved our neighbors and community in LoHi, but we needed a space that would accommodate our growth and truly honor the magical work that we do.
Our new HQ in RiNo puts us in the heart of the city we love, the city that has supported us through the years, and that attracts the special kind of people who understand and appreciate deeply intentional and personal one-of-a-kind jewelry. We tried to share this journey as transparently as possible with our tribe. We shared our feelings on leaving lohi, our excitement, how we picked each piece of furniture, each light fixture, and each art installation to evoke the feeling of love that goes into designing an engagement ring or using precious family heirloom jewelry to create something new. We posted pictures of the construction, the dust, the work in progress stages of the move. And then we finally settled into our new digs just last month. As excitement built in our community for the new space, we knew we had to throw a killer opening party–maybe in February we thought. But then, something amazing happened. We realized we didn’t have to wait until February. We didn’t have to wait until everything was perfect, all of our art was hung, and every single piece of furniture was in. We realized that our tribe has been with us every step of the way, and supports us, and we could to share our new studio ASAP, missing-signage and all. This culminated in a surprise Launch Party on December 20th.
If you came, thank you for helping us celebrate! If you missed it, know that it was not only a great party, it was a really cool exchange of our appreciation of our community, and your ongoing support for us. Below are pics of all the beautiful party people, but before diving in, I invite you to read Abby’s thoughts on the night.
A lot of you know me really well but don’t know why I love jewelry. Why have I devoted my life and career to jewelry? Last night I had on a watch and a few rings. One ring from my Mom and Dad, one that came into my life because of my son Maxwell. I have my boss lady ring which was the first ring I ever made, and started the idea for ASJ. My watch, I got from graduating from grad school, and I had my grandmother’s 1920’s vintage ruby and diamond ring. The reason that I love jewelry, and I think it’s so important, and I devote my career and passion to it is because there are few other things that have your family in them, that commemorate your life, that stay with you, and that mark the really big things…and the seemingly small things that can shift your entire path. We change our clothes, our cars, our homes, our careers, but our jewelry doesn’t change. When we wear these pieces we are reminded of these big milestones that make us who we are, down to our very existence. And for me, those are the things we need to hold on to and be reminded of and be proud of. Thank you to everyone who came out last night to celebrate my dream. My heart is full, my spirits are high because of all of you who continue to believe in me and support me.
xo Abby
Abby Sparks with Studio D Design Founder and Lead Designer of Abby Sparks Jewelry new studio, Danielle Wallinger.
Design goddess and magic maker Danielle Wallinger is the reason we couldn’t wait to throw a party in our fabulous new space. The design of our RiNo headquarters was masterminded by Danielle, who was somehow able to create a space that was everything we wanted but couldn’t fully articulate. Each and every detail of our new studio was meticulously planned by Danielle, who had the longterm, laser-focused vision to create a cohesive and incredibly well branded space. She’s basically the secret sauce of the studio. She knew what would work in the space and what our clients would love. Maybe more importantly, she knew when to save us from ourselves, like nixing our idea to create a DIY running “gold” waterfall with spray paint and other equally crafty ideas that would compromise the feel of the space. Danielle truly demonstrates why it’s always best to bring in the pro’s. Yes, ASJ is a team of women creatives and we were not lacking in enthusiasm or ideas for the new studio, but without Danielle it would have been a disaster. To everyone who couldn’t wait to see the new space, and is already asking when we’ll have the next party, you have Danielle to thank for that.
Abby Sparks, Bespoke Edge Partner Ryan Wagner, Studio D Design Owner and Lead Designer Danielle Wallinger.
The Hidden Woods Media team: Aidan Sean McCarthy, Co-Founders Patrick Gillespie and David Stewart.
AJ Nally, Owner of Four Athletes.
Abby Sparks with Jessica Gu.
Jolie & Co. Founder Maria Meagher and friend.
Abby Sparks and Meghan Nally.
Team Abby Sparks Jewelry.
Thank you to everyone who came out to help us celebrate the opening of our new RiNo Studio! Have pics of the big night that you’d like to share? Send them to [email protected]. Know any aspiring photographers who would like photograph our next event? Let us know, we are much better at making jewelry than event photography!
Cheers!
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