Description
Established in January of 1991 by sisters Ann and Karen Mitchell, AnKara Designs specializes in elegant and feminine handcrafted costume jewelry and accessories. Utilizing original sculpting techniques of polymer clay combined with crystal and pearl beads, metal filigree, and antique glass cabochons, the sisters create wearable art in a vast array of styles ranging from Victorian designs to an updated classic look. Ann Mitchell received her B.A. in Business/Marketing from the University of Oregon. She also pursued her own artistic endeavors through classes in ceramics and watercolor painting. After college, Ann worked for several years as a bank manager before deciding to start her own company. Even while in banking, she was interested in art, studying at Pasadena City College. After two years at UCLA, Karen Mitchell transferred to the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising, where she spent another three years studying fashion design and theatre costume design. The exclusive costuming program presented her with the opportunity to participate in an internship at Center Theatre Group. While at CTG, Karen worked on costumes and accessories for productions such as Phantom of the Opera and "Tremors." Following graduation, she decided to leave her position in retail clothing store management to work as a freelance wardrobe stylist. Karen split her time between industrial training videos, print ads, catalogues, and feature films. Several of the films she worked on include "Barton Fink", "Waxworks II", and "Kuffs." Working together, Ann and Karen share ideas to give their accessories the distinctive AnKara look. To further their knowledge about jewelry, they have studied metalsmithing. Their accessories have been seen on "All My Children", "Ink