Since her time studying fashion at Parsons School of Design, Bliss has always had a model form in her studio. Inspired by the human form, she first embarked on jewelry design through the creation of body chains. From the first collection she launched, in 2007, with leather and chain body pieces, Bliss has viewed jewelry as most people view clothing.

Creating jewelry that can be layered or worn individually, each of her pieces are essentially the building blocks of one cohesive idea. Her Kaleidoscope was the first piece that fully embodied this concept, with one ring made of four elements that can be combined and worn in a variety of ways to express one’s personality and identity.

While Bliss’ collections have continued to evolve, she has stayed true to her core principles. Her reliance on the human body to inform her designs results in pieces that are as comfortable as they are sophisticated. Balancing shapes, lines and textures, her jewelry is a testament to her understanding of how one functions in the world and serves to arm collectors of her work with pieces that feel empowering, whether navigating the trivialities of daily life, or boldly proclaiming one’s place in the world. She is always perpetually mindful of the impact her designs have on people and the natural environment, and she leaves no stone unturned in her search for ethical and responsible sources for the product and resources required in the production of her designs.

COUTURE will play host to the debut of a collection of work that Bliss has been reflecting on for nearly five years and showcases the dichotomies at play in her life and history. Using the “Stone of Kings,” jade, in three colors—blue-green, black jadeite and rare, lavender jadeite—the collection explores the dark, sexy side of New York and the calm serenity of the ocean. “It’s a collection that is the merging of my life’s thoughts,” she explains. “The bodychains, myself as a biracial hapa, myself as New Yorker whose heart is still floating in the middle of the ocean in Hawaii; I have created a collection that connects all of myself together.”