When I think of the jewelry designs of Tarina Tarantino, the only way I feel it’s adequate to describe them is to encourage you to think of Rainbow Brite in Edwardian England. The colors are bold, modern, and overstated and but the designs and some of the themes are Victorian and classic. It’s an odd combination and I’ve found that few people are blasé about the jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino; you either love her work or think most of it is hideous. I’m a lover of the Tarina Tarantino line of jewelry because it’s fun but the handbags…well, those are pretty much hideous.

The former model and jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino is known for her unique jewelry designs that hinge on the “found objects” movement and offer mixtures between the antique and the ultra-modern, the kitschy and the classy, and the colorful and the subdued. What is most unique about the jewelry designs of Tarina Tarantino is that this is jewelry that can be given as gift to almost anyone as there are a range of designs to choose from that meet almost every personality. Still, the jewelry designer Tarina Tarantino is most popular with younger women and girls and although it might not be instantly recognizable, as a stylist and jewelry designer, Tarina Tarantino is partially responsible for the new styles seen on girly icons such as Hello Kitty and even Barbie and is singlehandedly responsible for some of the ugliest handbags I have ever seen in my life.

Right now there are only three places where you can buy Tarina Tarantino jewelry in person. There are currently three Tarina Tarantino Boutiques, one in New York, one on Melrose in Los Angeles, and another in Milan, Italy. If you don’t happen to live anywhere near these places that sell Tarina Tarantino jewelry, you will be relegated to finding it online at her website. Here you will also see her line of handbags which are hardly understated little accessories and take some courage to carry due to their bold colors and design. I would not suggest wearing the jewelry and carrying one of her handbags on the same day or the fashion police will take issue with you.

On the official website with its cute scrapbook offering a short personal biography of Tarina Tarantino, the jewelry designer talks about always being obsessed with color and always having a passion for creating jewelry. She also talks about some of the inspirations for her jewelry designs that rely on the art of collage and the mixture between the old and the new as well as a fascination with found objects. In her biography, Tarina Tarantino talks about how her love for jewelry design continued as she worked as a top model in Europe and how she loved to create and collect beads and jewelry items from the countries she visited while working. Tarina Tarantino suggests that part of the reason she gave up modeling was because she was tired of starving herself and instead of continuing to model until she was used up, Tarina Tarantino talks about switching between careers as a makeup artist and jewelry designer, which were both passions she’d always had.

If you’re into bold jewelry designs or are just plain curious after reading this article and biography of Tarina Tarantino in terms of her influences and inspiration, here is her website. And no, she is not related to Quentin Tarantino.