When we think of accoutrements staples that every LA designer-loving fashion girl requires in her outfit kit, Maya Brenner and Clare Vivier are among the names that swiftly come to mind. The dainty jewelry designer and Paris-inspired bag maven, respectively, have each cultivated their own often-imitated signature styles — which they're finally combining in the form of a chic necklace collaboration.
The two LA-based talents and longtime friends teamed up for a four-piece range of nameplate necklaces ($295 to $325), each featuring Brenner's 14k gold chains and Vivier's French-influenced aesthetic. Like its creators' classic designs, the understated necklaces include French words like "OUI" (yes), "AMOUR" (love), "FEMME" (woman), and "MAMAN" (mother) that'll add that final je ne sais quois to any look.
Here, we chat with the creative duo to find out why it took them so long to join fashionable forces, the random things that's currently in their bags, the pieces they love most from each other's brands, and more. Read on below, then pick up your new favorite necklace at Clare V.'s boutiques in Silver Lake (3339 Sunset Blvd.) and Newport Beach (3424 Via Oporto, Suite 100) or online at MayaBrenner.com and ClareV.com.
First, how did the two of you meet?
MB: We met through mutual friends and became fast friends ourselves as we had a lot in common: Both women business owners, live on the Eastside, moms of boys the same age, and she introduced me to my boyfriend — So that pretty much sealed the deal!
CV: I think we met through mutual friends, maybe Naomi Scott.
What's your favorite LA boutique for gift shopping?
MB: I love Stark Waxing studio in our Silverlake neighborhood. One-stop shop for kids,
home, my guy and girlfriends.
CV: Clare V.!
You're longtime friends, so what inspired you both to finally pursue a collaboration?
MB: I think we both saw each other doing other collaborations and we just looked at each
other and said, "Duh!" It was a really easy decision and happened after one lunch
meeting.
CV: Sometimes the things that are most obvious take a little time to come around to. I think we always knew we would do something together, we were just waiting for the right time for it to happen.
What's the inspiration behind the collab?
MB: We are such fans of the other's designs and literally both wear them all the time. We
decided on OUI instantly and built the rest of the collection around that.
CV: It was about channeling the sentiments we felt post election about empowering women and incorporating her iconic letter necklaces and our French aesthetic into this capsule.
What's your go-to piece from the other's brand? And what are the 3 most
random things in your bag right now?
CV: My Maya Brenner Sharktooth necklace. The three most random things in my bag are a sample from Chantecaille, a Metrocard from my NY trip last week, and movie ticket from IT.
MB: I love my Clare V. Leopard Hair clutch and have owned two of them (I wore the first one out). I have a Glossier lip balm, a jade good luck charm, and a grape-flavored Tootsie Roll pop.
