Jewellery an act of friendship

[attach]6621[/attach]Beach-based jewellery designer Carleton Eckhardt got her start in the field making friendship bracelets as a child.

Although she now creates stylish earrings, necklaces and bracelets under the name Toveren, Eckhardt still offers her own take on the popular childhood accessory by incorporating metal with European embroidery floss, calling it the belle friendship bracelet.

“I’ve always been making jewellery since I was really young,” the George Brown College fashion management graduate says from her Queen Street E. studio near Woodbine Avenue. “I would actually make the embroidery thread friendship bracelets and remember the lanyard bracelets? Those were the first things I ever remember making.”

Of her self-described as colourful, eclectic and wearable collection, a popular seller has been the colour block rope bracelet, which musician Cyndi Lauper sported in concert.

“I saw a picture of her on her opening day at Universal Studios onstage — there’s like a close up of her wearing my bracelet,” Eckhardt says. “I love Cyndi Lauper, I love her style. She’s quite the icon.”

Since the jewellery is made to order, the colour block style is also well suited for bridal and wedding parties since she can customize them to match any colour scheme, she says.

After working in retail as a buyer and manager, Eckhardt knew it was time to be her own boss.

“I just wanted to do something I really enjoyed, that gave me a lot of satisfaction and this is definitely it,” she says. “I loved working in all the different facets of the fashion industry but I just wanted to work for myself.”

Although her line is inspired by her childhood, traveling and time spent at the cottage growing up, everything also reflects her personal style, she says, adding she only creates things she would wear herself.

“Usually an idea will come to my mind and I’ll think ‘oh, that’s awesome,’ and then I come home and try to create it,” she says. “Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t but sometimes what actually wasn’t my original vision works out better than what I originally planned.”

Receiving positive feedback and seeing people wearing her designs is a major job perk, she says.

“Knowing that people like what I make and create is probably the best part of it for me,” she says.