Danielle Insetta Circa63 profile picture

Danielle Insetta Circa63

Raised by a Cup of Coffee

About Me


WWW.CIRCASIXTYTHREE.COM
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I am Danielle Insetta, the designer behind Circa63. I make jewelry from vintage Lucite (from 1963) and 24k gold plate. My website is www.circasixtythree.com. I have found an amazing photographer on MySpace. For more info on working with Jonathan Sorber please go to his profile: http://www.myspace.com/jonnyballs
Me in front of Marni store (I'm a big fan of course) on Rue Faubourg St. Honore.
I am an IFNJ and somewhat eccentric. I drink A LOT of Coffee and I have synesthesia (with music, letters and numbers) -which I think expains my fascination with alternating colors. I was an Opera singer for a while but hated singing in front of people. After that there was the trading room and then cubicle and life on crackberry. Fortunately, I now have my own bourgening accessories company. I love colorful and graphic things. Of course I am ALWAYS interested in meeting new people with creative ideas.My company circasixtythree specializes in Vintage La Rose shoes and Lucite jewelry. Our jewelry is made from vintage plastics-primarily uncirculated Lucite from 1963 and brass plated with 24k gold (see pics). It all started a year and a half-ago, when my friend and I had the opportunity to take time off from our careers to travel. We went to Paris a few times. I found a vintage bead and dragourie shop in the marche aux puces the largest flea market in Europe. The shop just happened to be named Danielle! I spent a few hours rumaging through some of the French bakelite/goliath and lucite. I was hooked right then and there-so I sent my friend for espresso and to change a whole lot of money and then I proceeded to buy the shop out of much of what they had. We also went to the Antiques and art Fair in Maastricht (www.tefaf.com), the galleries de louvre-where they sell antiques and many galleries in Italy and Paris. I realized how much I loved art history and collecting. I decide to start collecting plastics and early plastic jewelry as a business. That then led to design and to circasixtythree.So here I am. After a few courses at the Corcoran College of Art and Design, I am making my own jewelry.At present, Lucite is cheaper than Bakelite but won't be for long. I actually prefer it-it feels more solid and heavy-but won't weigh you down either. Some of the plastic jewelry I collect: Tarina Tarrantino, Lea Stein, Maria Pavone and Angela Caputi. I also like Wendy Gell-she is an 80s icon. All of these jewelers can be found for sale in galleries, on the internet and ebay and have developed a sort of cult status. The pieces prices have gone up over the years. Vintage lucite (loose beads) has doubled or trippled in the past year. In most cases the kinds of beads I use sell for $1.00 per bead! Fortunatley I was able to snag a lot before the prices rose.Lucite was created by DuPont in the 40's as an alternative to the increasingly expensive bakelite. Incidentally my grandfather had an ad agency on Madison ave and had the bakelite account. He helped to find new uses and markets for it before anyone even knew what it was. It can be found as parts of househould items, electronics, and even vintage cars. Today at places like Nieman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman and fine jewelers have been making pieces that combine precious metal, stones and plastic-both new and old. I hope to do the same-but accross all the price ranges. I have even been making my own plastic and testing molds and shapes etc..I really want to start working with cellulose acetate sheets. If anyone has any experience with this contact me immediatly!I am looking for sales reps as well as people who know how to sew well to do some freelance work. If anyone out there is interested in such a project please get in touch with me. Anyone in PR for fashion accessories. Stylists, Graphc designers. Fun and intelligent people!!
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NEWS: Welcome to the new LA design team. Dani and Natasha (above) and thank you to everyone who worked on the photo shoot. The pics will be on the new website expected to be out in May. Below is a pic of makeup artist Kiri and model Andrea. for more info on working with Kiri: http://www.myspace.com/kiridescence
Don'y let this happen to you...

My Interests

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WWW.CIRCASIXTYTHREE.COM WWW.CIRCASIXTYTHREE.COM WWW.CIRCASIXTYTHREE.COM

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All of our jewelry is made from highly collectable uncirculated vintage Lucite (manufactured from the 1950s through the 1970s), brass and 24k gold plate. Most pieces are one of a kind. 99% of the Lucite beads and bangles come from the inventory of Best Plastics, a providence RI, Lucite manufacturer. The beads that we use have in most cases been machined from an extruded rod of Lucite. Many of the bangles and some of the beads in our stock are featured in the reference book "Plastic Bangles" by Lyn Tortoriello and Deborah Lyons. Best Plastics manufactured and designed jewelry for Avon, Coro, Trifari, Napier and Diane Von Furstenberg.

circasixtythree has over 10,000 pairs of Vintage NEW shoes by couture shoe designer Joseph La Rose. He designed from the 1940’s thru the 1980s. Clients included some of fashions greatest icons: Marilyn Monroe, Jacqueline Kennedy, Joan Crawford and Jane Mansfield. Our shoes were acquired brand new in their boxes direct form the La Rose estate. They are part of the same collection auctioned off at Sotheby’s to collectors and designers like Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade and Donna Karan. Today, his collectors include celebrities like Winona Ryder, Cameron Diaz, Kirsten Dunst and Renee Zellweger. They are found in costume departments and coveted by stylists and collectors. La Rose shoes have appeared in many movies including Factory Girl and Down With Love.

circasixtythree items can be found in the finest department stores and specialty shops in Italy, Germany, France and Japan. Shop .. at circasixtythree.com , unsungdesigners.com , and fashiondig.com . Shop locally for jewelry at Lettie Gooch in D.C. or for La Rose shoes at Moonshadow Antiques in Takoma Park.

I'd like to meet:



Here is a Man Ray photo montage!

Notice the date on this piece is 1963!

Music:



I usaully listen to FIP Radio on my computer-broadcast from Paris. I absolutely love the Raveonettes. I also listen to Emiliana Torrini, Le Tigre, Goldfrapp, Paris Combo, Chicks on Speed, Miss Kitten, Roni Size, Mount Sims, Gorillaz, Muse, Fischer Spooner, Ladytron, The Pinker Tones, Yeah, Yeah, Yeahs, Devendra Barnhart, Basement Jaxx, Scissor Sisters, White Stripes, Scott Hardkiss, Keren Ann, Royskopp, Stereo Lab, Sly and the Family Stone, Earth Wind and Fire, The Velvet Underground, Junior Senior, Portishead, Underworld, The Brand New Heavies, Groove Collective, Larry Tee, The Pixies.

I met this amazing artist at an art gallery/party, J.J. Cromer. Had been admiring his work for a while. I have my eye on a few of his pieces. He is an untrained or "outsider" artist but has a serious mind. There are a lot of archetypical/Jungian elements in there. Check out his work at: http://www.greyart.com/

Movies:

Kubrick-paths of glory especially, Mamet, Orson Wells, etc..Pumpkin, D.E.B.S., Donny Darko, When Will I Be Loved, Wings of Desire, Rushmore, Secretary, The Machinist, American Physcho (Bale), The Omen, Blade Runner, Yes, Boys Don't Cry, The Big Lebowski, Harold and Kumar. Extreme Ops, I like the stunts-wish I could ski like that. I recently discovered Law and Order in October. I think I have seen every episode already. Is there a support group?

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Television:



My mother met Marcello at a party and he lit a cigarette for her. I was born too late!

Books:



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| View Show | Create Your Own

I went to that "great books school," where I did alot of reading and so I have moved on to cartoons for now. I especially like Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Actually, I have been reading alot of cookbooks lately-to do with CHOCOLATE! La Maison Du Chocolate, and Pierre Herme have some great books out. I am a big fan of Laduree and can actually bake French macaron-getting pretty good at baking actually. I have been to every important restraunt in Paris-Ducasse, Robuchon, Taillevant among others. My cookbook collection is overflowing. I am also reading about surrealism and dada. I LOVE the artist Roberto Matta, he is a surealist. My goal in life is to be able to aford any painting of his from the 1940's. I might have to steal one if it comes down to it. Seriously I am not kidding.

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Heroes:


'But the proles, if only they could somehow become conscious of their own strength, would have no reason to conspire. They needed only to rise up and shake themselves, like a horse shaking off flies. If they chose, they could blow the party to pieces tomorrow morning. Surely, sooner or later, it must occur to them to do it. And yet ...' - George Orwell, 1984

Sonia Rykiel, Vivianne Westwood, Consuela Castiglioni, Miuccia Prada. Tom Binns. I know it's left field but-Alexander Hamilton, George Soros, Plato, Catherine De'Medici, Princess Diana, William Blake, My MOM and DAD and my big brother GLEN. Strongbad. Pastry chef Pierre Herme. And the surrealist Roberto Matta. http://www.matta-art.com/ Another fav is musicalist surrealist, Vasily Kandinsky. Oh and Sune Rose Wagner for making one of the greatest albums ever and Regina Spektor for her eloquence. This pretty much sums it up does'nt it?

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My Blog

*Update*

Warm Holiday grettings from the staff at Circa Sixty Three. This holiday season we will be shipping out all of our inventory to our new location in Jacksonville Florida. We are moving into the old Web...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 07:21:00 PST

my soapbox

This is not mine obviously-its an article on cnet by declan mccoulogh a respected tech/internet issues writer...does he have a point? In my opinion the best way to fight against the dangers of abuse h...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Sun, 02 Dec 2007 03:19:00 PST

Fashion Fights Poverty Auction for Aid To Artisans

We will be donating items to this auction shortly-bangles, necklaces. It is all for a good casue and you don't even have to put on that coctail dress. Bid online from the comfort of your own home. Th...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Thu, 20 Sep 2007 12:31:00 PST

Product to benefit our Veterans

Limited Edition Bangles to benefit Fisher House Unsungdesigners.com along with Circa 63 will donate 100% of the proceeds from the sale of a special limited edition collection of Circa 63 vintage Lucit...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Fri, 29 Jun 2007 12:42:00 PST

Circa in June InStyle Magazine

Circa featured in the Instant Style section of June's InStyle magazine. We were also in the March issue. Thanks InStyle! We love you too.
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:45:00 PST

SALE: Hundreds of never-been-worn 1960s shoes from Joseph La Rose.

This weekend at Lettie Gooch!Sun., 11 a.m.-6 p.m.Steps from the U street Cordoza Metro stop at Lettie Gooch Boutique, 1911 9th St. NW, b/t T & U Sts. (202-332-4242).
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Fri, 01 Jun 2007 05:35:00 PST

Spring 2008 Fashion Forecast and Trend Analysis with David Wolfe of The Doneger Group

Reading tes leaves from the blogosphere as I plan my Spring 2008 collection and shows..   Charting Change: Then..and Now! Then: overdesigned and detailed *Now: clean and minimal Then: flashy an...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:31:00 PST

Miuccia's Material World

Miuccia's Material World Thursday, Mar. 01, 2007 By KATE BETTS A fabric archive Miuccia Prada uses to develop her collections. Courtesy Prada Not so long ago, the spectacle of fashion was in the...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Wed, 28 Mar 2007 05:27:00 PST

Life Aquatic

I just returned from a (mandatory) family vaca a la "Life Aquatic meets the Griswalds"  in the Carribean. My Dad, who looks startlingly similar to Bill Murray rented a boat. While it was not the ...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Mon, 05 Mar 2007 06:41:00 PST

Circa Sixty Three in March InStyle!

Check out the "Instant Style" section of the March InStyle Magazine-in stores now. The yellow cube necklace is featured. Bangles and Earrings also featured in March Family Circle editorial on the Red ...
Posted by Danielle Insetta Circa63 on Fri, 16 Feb 2007 05:02:00 PST