Sydney Curtis grew up surrounded by the beauty of Hollywood, which imbued her with a love of elegance and fashion. “When other kids were watching cartoons, I was watching old movies,†she recalls.
She turned this love of glamour into a career. Her first foray into fashion was in sales at couture icon Azzedine Alaia’s Beverly Hills boutique followed by laudable gigs at many of the city’s best stores. “I believe in the concept of the boutique versus the department store because it’s an intimate atmosphere in which to buy fashion. Sales people…have the time and expertise to help clientele create looks.â€
Curtis transformed this skill into the second phase of her career. “I cleaned out clients’ closets, shopped for them and helped to create their signature styles.†Finally, there was a name to what she had been doing for years at boutiques. “I was a stylist!†Sydney laughs, emitting a joyful spirit evidenced in her work.
Now, Curtis has marshaled her varied passions and abilities into her own cutting edge line of jewelry, Aireheart.
Her burgeoning business was born in restaurants where she’d turn dinners into trunk shows, literally. “I would go out to dinner and people would admire my jewelry so I would go out to my trunk, get what I had made that day and sell the pieces to other patrons.â€
Her one-of-a-kind creations are inspired by old Hollywood’s golden era, “I love the look of the ‘20s and ‘30s – and combine that with a touch of the hippie chic look from the 1960s.†The necklaces and bracelets which she makes and pins she carries, “can be worn with a simple t-shirt and jeans or to a black-tie affair.†says Curtis, defining her eclectic collection.
Curtis has a legion of bold-faced admirers [who she refuses to name much to this curious writer’s chagrin!] “We’re all human beings,†explains Curtis as I press her for famous names.
“This jewelry comes from my heart. It’s playful, sophisticated and definitely sexy,†says Curtis.
Her creations are available at Theodore Stores (Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Malibu and Sun Valley locations), Avant-Garde Boutique in Beverly Hills, Savannah on Montana Avenue and Bny on Main Street.
