Interview by Kristin Larmore, Relate Intern

Who is Cassy Saba?

Born and raised in Arizona, Cassy Saba is a growing teen jewelry designer who has caught the attention of celebrities such as Beyonce, Brandy, Jordin Sparks and Alisha Keys. Soon to be 19, she’s been able to accomplish a lot in the last couple of years with the creation of her line, Cassy’s Sassy Jewelry, in 2003. Believe it or not, she crafts every single piece herself.  She has been featured in about 40 magazines, appeared on multiple talk shows and has been recognized as the 2007 Young Entrepreneur by the National Foundation of International Business. However, a sophomore in college, she’s still making time to study marketing.

RelateMag: When did you first start making jewelry?

Cassy: I started at the age of 12. It was actually that birthday when I received a bead kit and then just fell in love with it. There was plastic beads in there and little clasps. And then I made my mom wear one to work, and then she got compliments on it and then I thought, ‘You know, that was plastic beads. I should start doing glass.’ “ I eventually got into stones and then developed clients and all that.

RelateMag: How long does it normally take you to make a piece of jewelry? (Your average time)

Cassy: It just depends how big the beads are. Lots of times, I’ll have pearls and I want to knot them. That will take forever. It really just depends if I want to do a certain type of clasp. But, a few hours usually, on average.

RelateMag: Did you take any classes, get help on how to make the jewelry, or did you just teach yourself?

Cassy: I just kind of taught myself and I want to get more advanced, so I’m sure I’ll need to get into classes when I want to do diamonds, rings and all that. But right now, I’ve just taught myself with what I’ve done so far.

RelateMag: Do you have a favorite piece of jewelry you’ve made?

Cassy: It was the one I wore on the Montel show last year. I swore I would never sell it, and I sold it. My mom was so mad because she liked to wear it all the time, too. I actually made it for her birthday one year, but I would always steal it and then [when I was made] an offer after [someone] saw it on the show, my mom couldn’t believe I sold it. But, it was fine. It’s that aqua [piece] I’m wearing.

RelateMag: What makes your line unique and different from others?

Cassy: I keep up with the trends, but I also have a little niche where you can tell it’s my piece. Usually, I use these certain kinds of crystals that are in lots of my pieces, and they go outwards. It’s really classic, and it’s good for all generations. I can cater to young girls, but also I lots of older clients, too.

RelateMag: Do you actually have to shape a lot of your pieces? What is the base?

Cassy: I can’t draw very well at all, but all of the pendants and emblems are on the bottom; I usually have other people set the stones but I design them. I know how to sodder, but it’s not my scene. I like doing more the design and I’ll string the necklace part, too. But it is a lot of work and I can’t do it as fast as a professional person. That would make my pieces a lot more expensive if I was to do it. It keeps the price down, too, which is good.

RelateMag: How would you say your cultural background affects your personal jewelry style?

Cassy: I like to bring in lots of the natural stones. Gold is really big in Lebanon, I’ve never been to Lebanon, but most of my pieces are a sterling silver but every once in a while I’ll try to bring in a little gold to do something different. Lots of people ask for that. I’m working on a new line right now, too, that has lots of the jewel tones and some gold in it that will be on my website in the next couple months. It’s more Mediterranean looking.

RelateMag: How did your line first attract celebrities, and how does that process work?

Cassy: It’s been crazy because sometimes you call them and sometimes they call you. But  the Beyonce story is kind of cool. It’s different. I was in Women’s Wear Daily, which is a fashion/trade magazine, a few years ago. Beyonce and her mom have that House of Dereon clothing and accessories line, so they were on the page before me. I tore that out, found out the headquarters of the House…sent a couple articles of mine, wrote Tina (Beyonce’s mom) a letter telling her about my business. She sent me back a letter saying “I’d love for you to design something for Beyonce. Her favorite color is yellow.” And it kind of just went from there.

RelateMag: Have you made jewelry for any other celebrities lately?

Cassy: I’ve done one for Brandy. She actually used to come down here a lot because her boyfriend plays for the Phoenix Suns, so she actually purchased it in a store in Scottsdale, which is cool. The owner called me and said, “Brandi bought one of your necklaces.” And I was like, “Who’s that?” And he said, “The singer, you dork!” I was like “Ooooh!” There’s a girl who’s on a soap opera called All My Children. She’s from Arizona, so I reached out to her and did a couple pieces for her for some events. I got some connections through it….sometimes it’s you, sometimes it’s them.

RelateMag: Do you know of any other stars who are interested in getting your jewelry?

Cassy: Right now, no. I actually was talking to a stylist in LA, and she’s working on a show called Health and Style. It’s a new show that will be on VH1 or MTV, so she was going to see if there’s some stuff on my website that might be good for some guests on the show. I don’t know if they’re necessarily celebrities, but it would be a national show if she’s interested. But, I’m still waiting on it.

RelateMag: How have your awards and recognitions helped your career in fashion design?

Cassy: Some of the awards I got money for. The Girls Going Places was a scholarship program in high school. One of the other ones I did- the top accessory designer- all of that stuff was local things with competition. I think it’s helped me a lot, though, being in those and it’s gotten my name out there and the visibility is always worth it.

RelateMag: Where did your inspiration for starting a jewelry line and the unique designs come from?

Cassy: My inspiration is my mom. She has a charm school where she helps teen girls with confidence. And she does modeling, too, and self-esteem. I’ve always loved fashion. When I got that bead kit, I knew jewelry was the branch I wanted to go toward, so I think growing up in it….I love it. I’m so passionate about it. I want to continue.

RelateMag: What are your long-term life goals career-wise?

Cassy: I’m a sophomore at ASU (AZ). I’m studying marketing, so I want to get my degree in business and marketing and be able to have that degree, but also stay local. I wanted to go to a school in NY for jewelry design, but I wasn’t ready to leave my business here and move on yet. I feel like if I move there, I’m going to stay there because I’m going to love it so much. Obviously, I want to have a flagship store in NY and be a famous jewelry designer and design for celebrities.

Now that you’ve learned a bit about Cassy’s life and dreams, here’s some of Cassy’s tips when applying for Relate’s DIY contest:

First steps:

• Determine what you style is and develop your pieces around that (maybe start out with birthstone, favorite season or favorite designer to get inspirations)
• Figure out favorite colors in your style
• Go to local stores- Craftmart, Michael’s, and find beads-  something that excites you

Must-have tools:

More advanced…

• Pliers so you can smash your crimps
• Soft-flex wire that you will string your beads on where you would clasp it with some type of closure

OR the easier option is…

• Elastic, which is stretchy- you don’t need pliers for that

Non-tangible tools Cassy says you’ll need:

• Never give up
• Always stand by your designs, and don’t take things personally

Cassy: “Of course, not everyone is going to like them. You’re going to get critiqued a lot, but take it as helpful critique. Some people say, ‘Oh, it’s just a little too chunky for me or too simple.’ It’s important that you realize your style and know not everyone is going to love it.”

• Be persistent!

Cassy: “I’ve gotten rejected a lot by either a magazine or store, but you just have to keep knocking on doors because if one closes, another will open.”

• Have fun with it
• Take it apart if you don’t like it
• Take your time, and make it more of a hobby
• Get beads/tools from a good source and do your research before you go buy stuff (look online and range prices)
•  If you’re interested in making it a business, see what demand is for a certain thing and don’t get or make a lot of one thing (makes it more unique, and more prone to sell more stock)

Good luck!  Don’t wait. Everyone’s got a chance.

Click here for submission guidelines.

To view Cassy’s visit on Montel or watch her other awesome TV debuts, visit cassysassyjewelry.com!

(All photos by cassysassyjewelry.com)