Made in NYC Company of the Month - September 2011

News last updated October 17, 2011

Fantasy Comes to Life through Jewelry Made in Midtown

“Fantasy [united with reason]…is the mother of the arts and the origin of marvels.” ~Francisco de Goya

Jewelry artist Noriko Sugawara began making jewelry with her sister Akiko and founded N+A New York in 2007. While growing up in Japan, Noriko was enamored by New York City's energy and lifestyle. Her dream to live in the city came true after she was accepted into New York’s Fashion Institute of Technology (F.I.T.). At F.I.T. Noriko completed her degree in jewelry design and met Adjunct Assistant Professor Chie Teratani, who eventually became her mentor. After graduating Noriko studied sculpture at the Art Student League of New York, acquiring the sense and taste for the three-dimensional aesthetic seen in her collections. She currently rents space in Chie’s Studio, adjacent to F.I.T.’s campus, where she continues to refine and develop her technique under her mentor's guidance.

Noriko’s aim for her jewelry is for it to be something special and something that is functional; jewelry that she could wear every day. The pieces she creates are the result of an integration of labor intensive, specialized artisanwork. Noriko single-handedly hammers sheet metal, creating delicate textures, and constructs three dimensional shapes. Her work retains an essence of Japanese culture in its minimalistic design and her collections capture nature in its simplest form.

Noriko’s inspiration stems from nature, city architecture, students working in the studio, and memories from her childhood. “Everything” finds its way into Noriko’s work. Noriko translates what inspires her into ethereal, dramatic, delicate, and abstract forms. Some pieces are sweet and simple, while others are more complex miniature sculptures. Most of all, Noriko’s work contains an element of fantasy, an attribute she and her sister and business partner Akiko proudly advertise.

Noriko conveniently gets her materials from the crafts store two floors beneath her studio space. Additional sources of material are located in New Mexico, as well as the Diamond District on 47th Street between 5th and 6th Avenue. Noriko works mostly with silver, some of which is gold plated or oxidized, and works with pure 18 K gold. At times, the expense of these materials and the rental space strain her business. However, since Noriko and her sister started N+A New York during the toughest phase of the economic recession, Noriko claims that business is only improving and “moving upwards.” She is therefore optimistic about the growth of her business.

Her jewelry is available throughout various boutiques in New York, such as Lori McLean, Michele Varian, and Red Pearl, and in other stores across the U.S., U.K., and Japan. Furthermore, N+A New York’s jewelry is featured on the bridal site, BHLDN. Noriko participated in the New York International Gift Fair (NYIGF) five times and her work was showcased in major galleries and art shows in the U.S. and Japan. Noriko aspires to run her own boutique shop and rent a larger studio space where she can hire more employees. Because Noriko draws from the city’s energy as a main source of flowing creativity it is critical for her to remain in New York. In N+A’s words: “New York City is full of energy—so many different things are happening—mixed and moving all the time. All the excitements in this city make us think anything could happen here!”