It is clear that Tracie Pennypacker considers herself an unconventional designer, hence the name of her jewelry line, Un-conventional Wearable Art. “I love fashion and love a mix of vintage with avant garde. That is why I chose to do my designs unconventionally. I have always made up my own words, spellings, and now designs!”

Tracie realized that she wanted to design jewelry from the moment she created her first piece. For her, it has been a truly positive endeavor. “I like pretty much everything about making jewelry.  I just love making these funky pieces that tell a story from my heart or head!”

She even faces obstacles with optimism. She describes her biggest struggles as, “Getting my name out there and making my own website!  I am a one-woman show, so doing everything myself and having another job keeps me super busy.  I love being busy though, and learning new things, so I can't complain.”

Tracie’s passion for the environment plays into her design inspiration and philosophy. “My inspiration comes from nature, wildlife, and life situations.  I make my
pieces into stories that come from my knowledge or life. I love giving back to my inspirations and chose to donate to 2 charities that are all volunteers.  I love that about them, and they do a great job.” (For more information about Tracie’s charities, visit http://www.loveitshop.com/Our_Mission.php.)

Her design materials reflect her respect for the environment. “I use vintage, reclaimed, and recycled materials. My favorites are vintage brass, lucite beads, and plastic charms from the 1980s. Every collection has a different feel to it. I sort of go through different moods with my designs. I am always searching for new things that catch my eye.”

You can find Tracie’s designs in Los Angeles, Long Beach, and Shibuya-Tokyo. She was thrilled to have all of her necklaces at her Hollywood location sell out in one month and is very proud that her designs are being showcased in Tokyo. “I love Japanese style and am blown away that they chose all my personal favorite pieces for their store.” 

Tracie believes “Fashion is personality.  You only live once, why not wear what you want and not what everyone else thinks is cool?  Fashion is about standing out from a crowd, not blending in.  That is one of the main reasons I am so passionate about making one-of-a-kind pieces.” Sounds like the UsTrendy philosophy!

Tracie Pennypacker is a featured UsTrendy designer; you can view her blog and the Un-conventional Wearable Art portfolio.