Creativity Over Coffee: Claire Hannafin (studioHannafin)

Join us for a fresh installment of Creativity Over Coffee. A favorite series where I chat with creative friends and learn about their businesses.

Today I’m so excited to introduce you all to my friend Claire, the talent behind studioHannafin. We actually met through Leading Ladies of the South Shore, a networking group made for women by our friend Aubrey. Anyway, I was at Claire’s home for a planning meeting and was so inspired by her home studio and the beautiful jewelry design. I thought she’d be the perfect person to kick of Creativity Over Coffee in 2020. Meet Claire!

Grab your coffee or tea and join us for this really amazing chat. I think you guys are going to love it!

Can you tell my readers more about being a jewelry designer and studioHannafin? This is second career for you. Can you talk more about this transition?

Claire: Actually, being a jewelry designer is probably my fifth career! I had worked in financial services industry for over 40 years…in marketing, sales training, consulting, and most recently managing a sales support team for a major institutional financial company in Boston. My degree is in Special Education, I came to financial services through no effort of my own…it was the job that was available at the time when no teaching jobs were. During my 40+ years in the corporate world, I always had some sort of creative project going. Back in the day I sewed a lot of my own and others clothing, I designed headbands way before headbands were the in accessory,

The name studioHannafin was bestowed on me by a friend who owned a local gift shop and encouraged me to do something with all this creative energy. In the 1990’s, under the studioHannafin label, I designed and created baby and toddler jackets made with vintage fabrics, ribbons, and antique buttons. The jackets were sold nationally through children’s shops and boutiques. I did all this while working full time and after a year, creating 20+ garments on nights and weekends became a chore, so I abandoned the business.

In 2004, I took a jewelry making workshop and I started designing jewelry pieces that expressed my style, things I couldn’t find in the marketplace, for myself, friends, and family.

In 2014, my husband of 22 years, died after a short tough battle with pancreatic cancer. At that time, in the process of grieving and putting my life back together, I totally lost all the creative energy I had. I put all my tools, beads, stones, anything to do with creating away in storage and poured myself back into my financial career.

In 2016, through chance, I met a wonderful man who breathed life, love, and creative energy back into my life.

In 2017 I retired from the corporate world and for the first few months enjoyed the freedom of days with nothing to do and no one to answer to but I quickly got bored, so I bought some supplies and got back to jewelry design. It wasn’t until this past year that I really put my heart, soul, focus, and resources into building the studioHannafin brand. I’m surrounding myself with smart, creative women to help me take studio to the next level I’m so excited about this coming year and what’s in store for studioHannafin!

Do you have a favorite gemstone or material that you work with?
Claire: Pearls, pearls, and more pearls! Pearls and gold, a signature look of studioHannafin.

Your home studio is stunning and happy. What’s your favorite thing about it?
Claire: There is so much I love about my studio, it’s hard to pick just one or a couple of favorite things. I try to fill is with inspiring things…my mother’s vintage teacups, design and fashion books, inspirational artwork. I guess if I have to pick one thing it would be the black and white buffalo check spindle chair and ottoman (from Ballard Designs). It’s the spot where I read, meditate, look through magazines and books, watch old movies for inspiration.

When do you feel most creative and happy?
Claire: In the years after my husband died, I had to work hard at finding happiness, but I have come a long way since then. Having special people in my life who love and support me has made finding happiness a lot easier. Also, I feel I have finally come to the point in my life that I have fully accepted who I am and who I want to be, comfortable in my own skin so to speak, and that brings me a lot of joy and confidence.

As far as creativity, I’m what I term an organic designer. I need to see and feel the pearls, gemstones, and other components that make up our designs. It’s when I’m surrounded by these that I feel most creative.

Who or what inspires you?
Claire: I get inspiration from many things. Music, a photograph of a Paris street scene or the Amalfi Coast (spoiler alert, our summer collection is based on visits to the Amalfi Coast), a book, women who I see on the street, fashion trends, social media, the actual pearls and gemstones.

And of course, other women who are in my life. Most of our jewelry pieces are named after women who have touched my life, who have inspired me with their style, attitude, and strength.

You have a signature red lipstick. Red is a very bold color but fits you well. Have you always worn red lipstick? What’s a signature piece of jewelry for you?
Claire: Thank you! I will not leave the house without my red lipstick on and pearl earrings, of course! Red lipstick is my way of being bold. I’ve always been a bit of an introvert, but the red lipstick is my way of telling the world ‘watch out, here I come!’ It makes me happy!

How do you go about creating a collection for the various seasons?
Claire: I’m getting much more disciplined about creating seasonal collections. I used to design and create pieces at whim, when I felt like it but now realize to build studioHannafin as a business and brand I need to be more in tune with business and buying cycles.

When I create a new collection, I start with a theme, for instance our summer line will be the Amalfi Collection. My partner, Jim, and I spend the end of October in Amalfi to celebrate both our birthdays. I love the colors of the area…the deep rich blues, greens, and reds of the local pottery, the vibrant yellow of the ‘sfusato amalfitano’ (Amalfi lemon) for which is the area is famous, the turquoise of the water in the grottos carved into the coast. Once I have a theme and a direction, I will create a mood board, and from there research and source the gemstones, pearls, and other components needed. I’ll come up with 4 or 5 earring designs and a few necklace designs for each collection.

Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry you’ve created? If so, what is it?
Claire: There are two pieces that are near to my heart. The first is our Goldilocks necklace which comes in three sizes, but I am partial to the largest, a 40mm acrylic pearl on a simple gold chain. Simple yet bold and sophisticated. The other piece is our Queen Bee necklace on which you can have your birthstone charm and if you are a mother, we will also add ‘baby bee’ birthstone charms for each of your children. These two are signature designs of studioHannafin and favorites of our clients.

What advice would you give someone who wants to follow in your footsteps or who would like to become a jewelry designer?
Claire: First, something I regret I didn’t do sooner is to learn and give some focus to the business side of the business. Building a jewelry business is not just about making beautiful designs. You need to know how the business and industry works in order to bring your designs to the market place otherwise it’s not a business, it’s a hobby.

The other, is surround yourself and rely on the right people who have the talent and can help you build your business. There’s so much more to building a jewelry company than design…social media, website design, marketing, sales, events…I tried to do it all and that doesn’t work. Fortunately, we live in an area with so many talented women (and men) who I have met through social media and local networking organizations. I now have a business and life coach, a social media marketing expert, a website designer, a photographer, and a salesperson. Currently they are all are contract, wonderful women who the universe put in my path but that’s right for me and the business at this point in time. Someday, hopefully, these will all be employees of studioHannafin!

Growing up, I was a huge follower of INSIDE THE ACTORS STUDIO. At the end of the program, they would ask the interviewee these questions: 

Favorite word? There are so many words that I fine irresistible but if I have to pick one (or two) it would be kismet and lovely.
Least favorite word? Agita
Turns me on creatively, spiritually, or emotionally? Music. Always some sort playing in the studio.
Turns you off? People who can’t commit, can’t make a decision.
Favorite curse word? I’m not a big curser. Probably ‘oh poop’ is as bad as it gets!
Sound or noise that you love? Sound of thunder in the distance
Sound or noise that you hate? Anything that sounds like nails on a chalkboard
Profession other than your own would you like to attempt? I always wanted to be lounge singer at the Carlyle Hotel in NYC in the 1940’s. I think I might have been one in a past or parallel life. Hence, the red lipstick!
Profession you would not like to do? Nurse or doctor. I’m very squeamish.
What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates? Sweetie, welcome home!

Isn’t Claire’s story so amazing and inspiring. So much of what she said resonates with me as a woman. I hope you felt the same way.

A huge thank you to Claire for sharing so much of herself and so much of her story. Her jewelry is breathe-taking?

Be sure to follow along with Claire:

Website * Instagram * Facebook

If you’d like more Creativity Over Coffee you can read the full series here

* Photos by Megan Kubasch photography courtesy of Claire Hannafin