52 STATE OF THE MAJORS 2017 Other designers echoed that sentiment. “Los Angeles is central to so many areas of inspiration,” says Tacori CEO Paul Tacorian. “Virtually no matter where you are, you’re an hour or two from the mountains, the ocean, the desert, the vineyards, the city. All of these things inspire our team of designers and every- one who works at Tacori.” In comparison to New York, designers have found that every- thing—from the cost of living to the cost of production—is more manageable in L.A. Designer Yves Spinelli of Spinelli Kilcollin says that while Los Angeles might never be the U.S. hub of jewelry and manufacturing that New York is, the cheaper rents and slower pace allow for a lot of creativity and flexibility for designers. While lifestyle is one draw to LosAngeles, the other is more romantic—the idea that LosAngeles is a place where dreams come true and you can be anyone you want to be. “Working and designing in Los Angeles has such a different energy than any other place in the world,” says Tacori COO Nadine Tacori- an Arzerounian. “There’s a sense of manifest destiny, that anything is possible; it’s a city of dreamers.” The Tacorians believe anything is possible because, for their family, it’s been true. Founder and Chairman Haig Tacorian didn’t speak any English when he immigrated to California from Romania in the 1970s. Today, the massively successful brand boasts its own 25,000-square-foot workshop, where everything is produced on site. “We are inspired by the spirit of California,” Paul Tacorian says. “We have an insatiable appetite to do better tomorrow than we did yesterday.” DTLA’S RENAISSANCE While the weather, laidback lifestyle, and lower cost of living has been a draw for designers, the number of manufacturers operating out of L.A.’s jewelry district has shrunk since the recession. And as downtown L.A. (DTLA) undergoes the same kind of gentrification seen in urban areas across the United States—think, New York’s Brooklyn, or San Francisco’s Mission Dis- trict—some are excited to witness the development of the area, while many fear that old-school artisans won’t be able to keep up with rising rents. “It’s not been long since we landed (in Los Angeles),” says Wales, “but I see the changes every day as I walk down the street. Down- town L.A. is changing so fast, evolving and coming up. I’m seeing more and more people move to L.A., like Anna Sheffield, and brands like Catbird doing pop-ups.” The Tacorian family has been a longer witness to the district’s evolution. “We’ve seen downtown Los Angeles continue to go through a renaissance. The downtown scene is virtually unrecogniz- able today from when we were based there,” says Nadine Tacorian Arzerounian. “We have a great retail partner, Icing on the Ring, who has a beautiful, upscale store based in the jewelry “A big reason I ended up in L.A. was because of the jewelry district. I get to see and touch every single piece that is made … I love the collaboration and intimacy of producing locally.” — Baylee Zwart “It’s understood that L.A. is a market that has incredible relevance and creativity on par with the older, denser cities. It takes some time for people to notice, for the attitudes to shift.” — Vram Minassian “Los Angeles is central to so many areas of inspiration. Virtually no matter where you are, you’re an hour or two from the mountains, the ocean, the desert, the vineyards, the city.” — Paul Tacorian “Working and designing in Los Angeles has such a different energy than any other place in the world. There’s a sense of manifest destiny, that anything is possible; it’s a city of dreamers.” — Nadine Tacorian Arzerounian “For me, the light and the space in L.A. have been such game changers. We have more space than I could have ever dreamed of here, and to have such openness and light where we work has changed the way we make jewelry.” — Polly Wales Spinelli Kilcollin ring made of 19-karat yellow gold, 18-karat yellow gold, 18-karat rose gold, .925 sterling silver, black rhodium-plated .925 sterling silver and full cut micro-pave white, cognac, champagne and gray diamonds