“A lot of the pieces we design are just things we would like to see”, say Phoebe and Annette Stephens, the sisters behind the jewelry and accessories label Anndra Neen. The Manhattan-based, Mexican born sisters find inspiration everywhere, and their adventurous yet feminine designs are informed by art, architecture and textiles from all over the world. Since launching in 2009, Anndra Neen pieces have been worn by Michelle Obama, Jessica Alba, Drew Barrymore and Nicole Ritchie, among others.
Anndra Neen has a personal, family feel. The intriguing name of the label is a combination of the sisters’ middle names, Annette and Alejandra. Design is very much in Phoebe and Annette’s genes. Their father, Luis Stephens, is an artist, and they cite their artistic grandmother, Annette Nancarrow, as a constant source of inspiration. Nancarrow was a painter, sculptor and jewelry designer who lived in Mexico during the 1930s and 40s and was close friends with Diego Rivera, Anaïs Nin, and other movers and shakers of the avant-garde movement.
Her striking statement pieces crafted from such diverse materials as bone, shell, mixed metals and pre-Colombian idols were worn by Peggy Guggenheim and Frida Kahlo, and sold at Henri Bendel in New York City. The sisters have continued their inspirational grandmother’s legacy, and added their own interpretations of antique European jewelry, Egyptian motifs, French medieval armor and even Japanese design elements.
Just like the inspiration behind the designs, the materials used are not from just one place. The beautiful stones and shells featured in the designs are sourced both in Mexico and New York. In the past, the sisters have used mother of pearl found in Mexico and the marbled shell Conus Marmoreus from the Philippines. Although there are no hard and fast rules, they usually find the materials they want to work with first and then design around them.
The design process is collaborative and the sisters constantly throw ideas back and forth. One will start a sketch and the other will finish it. They then produce the sample and wear it themselves to get a feeling of how it works on the body.
Each Anndra Neen piece is unique and has been lovingly crafted by hand in a workshop in Mexico City. Phoebe and Annette work very closely with artisans from the School of Silversmithing in Taxco, constantly developing new techniques and discussing options. The talented artisans are involved in every aspect of bringing the design to life and are amazing at interpreting sketches and translating then into actual objects.
