STH: Tell us a little about yourself. Some background information. Where are you from? Who is the “Queen of Crystal”?
My real name is Yasmine Jaiselle and I am from Los Angeles, California. I am currently 31 years old and like most people, was extremely bored with my career path and craved supplemental income… and so Y. Jaiselle shoes was officially born in 2009. It grew very rapidly via social media and a little faster than I was ready for at times but I am happy it did and feel extremely blessed to be loved by so many for the gift that God gave me.
As for the “Queen of Crystal” , it is a nickname my customers and followers gave to me because they felt I can do anything with crystal (I don’t use plastic rhinestone, I hate them). Shiny things have always fit my personality even as a child. My parents feel that me making crystal shoes is only right because I only wanted and liked things that sparkle and even risked getting “choked out” by throwing tantrums in stores when I couldn’t have jewelry, sequins or glitter. (I didn’t understand that it was all really expensive at the time).
STH: What sparked that initial fire?
Y. Jaiselle was born unintentionally. I made a pair of shoes for myself and posted them on my Facebook page in 2009 saying “look what I made!” It was a style that was not being done at the time with spikes and chains and crystal. Within a week I had about 4 orders and a nice amount of money from them… and so it all began.
STH: How would you define your personal style?
My personal style is a bit complicated… I am somewhere between pretty and rocker. I love wearing black but I am attracted to bright and summery colors. Leather is awesome but only if I can also wear a tiara. I know it is a bit confusing but I can be found mixing the two which helps me with shoes because it gives me more versatility when designing for my customers. I can go either way.
My real name is Yasmine Jaiselle and I am from Los Angeles, California. I am currently 31 years old and like most people, was extremely bored with my career path and craved supplemental income… and so Y. Jaiselle shoes was officially born in 2009. It grew very rapidly via social media and a little faster than I was ready for at times but I am happy it did and feel extremely blessed to be loved by so many for the gift that God gave me.
As for the “Queen of Crystal” , it is a nickname my customers and followers gave to me because they felt I can do anything with crystal (I don’t use plastic rhinestone, I hate them). Shiny things have always fit my personality even as a child. My parents feel that me making crystal shoes is only right because I only wanted and liked things that sparkle and even risked getting “choked out” by throwing tantrums in stores when I couldn’t have jewelry, sequins or glitter. (I didn’t understand that it was all really expensive at the time).
STH: What sparked that initial fire?
Y. Jaiselle was born unintentionally. I made a pair of shoes for myself and posted them on my Facebook page in 2009 saying “look what I made!” It was a style that was not being done at the time with spikes and chains and crystal. Within a week I had about 4 orders and a nice amount of money from them… and so it all began.
STH: How would you define your personal style?
My personal style is a bit complicated… I am somewhere between pretty and rocker. I love wearing black but I am attracted to bright and summery colors. Leather is awesome but only if I can also wear a tiara. I know it is a bit confusing but I can be found mixing the two which helps me with shoes because it gives me more versatility when designing for my customers. I can go either way.
STH: Where do you get your inspiration?
I know this sounds crazy but I have nightmares about shoes. Designs come to me when I am sleeping and I will be awake until I finally wake up and bring them to life. It’s like a light that won’t go off. I also look at the things around me for inspiration such as works of art, animals and anything I see outside… I live in the Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles always looking at new materials from rocks to fabric to see if there is something that I can do to be different from everyone else.
STH: Tell me about the process of detailing the shoes with the crystal design?
It is al long process. Starting with my brand of heels , the shoe will be completely blank. My customers and I have conversations about their desired design which can be for a party or their wedding or just because. In these conversation, they either know exactly what they want or a lot of times they have no idea and they send me pictures of their outfit/ wedding gown and I help them come up with something. Once we decide on what they want I bring it to life laying each stone, feather , piece of glass and string of pearls, detachable accessory and crystal by hand.
STH: How long does it usually take you to complete a full design?
Depending on the size of the stones and the size of the shoe ordered it can take me anywhere between 4 hours and 4 days to complete a pair. The shoes that take me 4 days I usually end up slowly hating as time goes on. But I love when my customers receive them and they fall in love. That makes it all worth it.
STH: Do you consider yourself an artist?
Yes I do. Even though a lot of my customers know exactly what they want, I have to bring it to life my own way with my vision before I can put my name on it. It is my art.
STH: What's your favorite part about conceptualizing a design?
Funny enough I pride myself on creating styles that the Chinese bootleggers cannot copy. It is something I had lots of grief with in my first couple of years. Spending all of my time and energy coming up with something to have it stolen not only by copycats her in the US but by the biggest copycats of all in China. They remake my designs in a horrible cheap way and sell them wholesale to custom shoe “liars” all over the world. It is extremely irritating but uplifting at the same time. I now create designs that most people would have a hard time copying. I love doing different stuff and not the same stuff I have done before. The more difficult the concept, the more excited I get.
STH: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
I can be found on my website www.yjaiselleshoes.com, Facebook search Y. Jaiselle Shoes and Etsy search Y. Jaiselle Shoes and instagram and twitter @yjaiselle. For custom designs I can be reached by emailing from my website or at yjaiselle@gmail.com
I know this sounds crazy but I have nightmares about shoes. Designs come to me when I am sleeping and I will be awake until I finally wake up and bring them to life. It’s like a light that won’t go off. I also look at the things around me for inspiration such as works of art, animals and anything I see outside… I live in the Fashion District in Downtown Los Angeles always looking at new materials from rocks to fabric to see if there is something that I can do to be different from everyone else.
STH: Tell me about the process of detailing the shoes with the crystal design?
It is al long process. Starting with my brand of heels , the shoe will be completely blank. My customers and I have conversations about their desired design which can be for a party or their wedding or just because. In these conversation, they either know exactly what they want or a lot of times they have no idea and they send me pictures of their outfit/ wedding gown and I help them come up with something. Once we decide on what they want I bring it to life laying each stone, feather , piece of glass and string of pearls, detachable accessory and crystal by hand.
STH: How long does it usually take you to complete a full design?
Depending on the size of the stones and the size of the shoe ordered it can take me anywhere between 4 hours and 4 days to complete a pair. The shoes that take me 4 days I usually end up slowly hating as time goes on. But I love when my customers receive them and they fall in love. That makes it all worth it.
STH: Do you consider yourself an artist?
Yes I do. Even though a lot of my customers know exactly what they want, I have to bring it to life my own way with my vision before I can put my name on it. It is my art.
STH: What's your favorite part about conceptualizing a design?
Funny enough I pride myself on creating styles that the Chinese bootleggers cannot copy. It is something I had lots of grief with in my first couple of years. Spending all of my time and energy coming up with something to have it stolen not only by copycats her in the US but by the biggest copycats of all in China. They remake my designs in a horrible cheap way and sell them wholesale to custom shoe “liars” all over the world. It is extremely irritating but uplifting at the same time. I now create designs that most people would have a hard time copying. I love doing different stuff and not the same stuff I have done before. The more difficult the concept, the more excited I get.
STH: Where can readers find out more about you and your work?
I can be found on my website www.yjaiselleshoes.com, Facebook search Y. Jaiselle Shoes and Etsy search Y. Jaiselle Shoes and instagram and twitter @yjaiselle. For custom designs I can be reached by emailing from my website or at yjaiselle@gmail.com
STH: What matters to you most as a designer?
What matters most to me as a designer is satisfied customers. That’s what keeps me going. They make me love what I do even more.
STH: Which are your favorite styles of shoes, fabrics, and colors to work with and why?
I love my platform pump in any Swarovski crystal design… Any shoe that uses a special effect color that is bright and summery. I love stones that reflect more than one color like volcano and vitrail.
STH: How would you define the style your line exemplifies?
Y. Jaiselle is totally Glam. It is for the glamourous woman who loves to stop the show as her feet glow into the room. From pretty princess to Rocker girl to hippy chic, I have something for you!
STH: What do you have set out for yourself or line in the near future?
In the very near future Y. Jaiselle will have a line of shoes that are not so heavily embellished that are more basic because every occasion does not call for SHINE.
STH: What was the wildest design you ever had to create?
My wildest design would be my chained and spiked silver and black peep toe heels or my completely feathered rainbow contest winner shoes. I held a design contest for my followers and the winner got their design brought to life for free.
What matters most to me as a designer is satisfied customers. That’s what keeps me going. They make me love what I do even more.
STH: Which are your favorite styles of shoes, fabrics, and colors to work with and why?
I love my platform pump in any Swarovski crystal design… Any shoe that uses a special effect color that is bright and summery. I love stones that reflect more than one color like volcano and vitrail.
STH: How would you define the style your line exemplifies?
Y. Jaiselle is totally Glam. It is for the glamourous woman who loves to stop the show as her feet glow into the room. From pretty princess to Rocker girl to hippy chic, I have something for you!
STH: What do you have set out for yourself or line in the near future?
In the very near future Y. Jaiselle will have a line of shoes that are not so heavily embellished that are more basic because every occasion does not call for SHINE.
STH: What was the wildest design you ever had to create?
My wildest design would be my chained and spiked silver and black peep toe heels or my completely feathered rainbow contest winner shoes. I held a design contest for my followers and the winner got their design brought to life for free.
