A little over a year ago, in anticipation of the Hallmark Channel premiere of Destination Wedding, one of the supporting leads, Andrea Brooks, alerted me to a fantastic company called Brooklyn Designs that provided some of the beautiful jewelry worn in the film. I think I may have heard of the company before, but Andrea and the owner of the company, Brooke Mosher, worked together to promote the upcoming premiere by providing a fantastic giveaway related to the jewelry designs worn by Andrea in the film. Recently, I reached out to Brooke to highlight her in an interview,  and I am happy to share our recent Q & A session with my readers today!

RH: How/when did you get inspired to design jewelry?

BM: I always had a fascination and love for polished rocks and gemstones since as early as I can remember. There is something about rocks and gems that speak to my heart! By the time I was nine years old, my two aunts had taught me how to make beaded jewelry. My family had moved to Victoria, BC and my mom and her sisters would take me to a couple of the local bead stores where we would pick out our favourites and then go home and start creating beautiful jewels together. After that, I was hooked for life!

When did you decide to pursue this as a career? What kind of training did you have?

I had dabbled in jewelry design throughout my teens and early twenties, but it wasn’t until I met my husband that I really thought about pursuing a career in jewelry design. His grandfather, Eric, is a goldsmith and taught classes at the local Gem & Mineral Club, which is where I learned Lost Wax Casting, Silver Smithing, and so many other fun skills. After that, I decided to pursue jewelry design as a career and it has truly been a labour of love to create and design jewelry every day.

How did it happen that your jewelry came to the attention of the film/TV community?

TV and film has always been something that I’ve loved, and I remember watching some of my favourite shows and thinking that the characters would look great in my designs. I then had to find a way to contact the costume designers for the shows I was interested in, and that’s how it all began. The first shows that used my designs were on the CW network called The Secret Circle and Hart of Dixie. Once I saw my jewelry on-screen, I was hooked and haven’t been able to stop since! It’s such a thrill for me to see my creations on some of my favourite actresses and characters. Being able to bring a little bit of happiness into people’s lives via my jewelry is really special to me and fills my heart full of gratitude to be able to do what I love.

While your jewelry designs have been worn extensively by so many of the shows in Vancouver, do you have a couple favorite memories from working with these studios/people?

Alison Sweeney
Murder, She Baked

My favourite memory was when Alison Sweeney invited me to the set of one of her Murder, She Baked movies. I had the opportunity to meet Alison in person and hang out on set while they did some filming. It was really cool to watch the behind-the-scenes of movie making and Alison was so incredibly sweet. I really can’t say enough about how supportive, kind and generous Alison Sweeney has been to me. I have been a fan of hers since I was thirteen years old watching her on Days of Our Lives, which made her invitation that much more exciting. She has been a big supporter of mine over the years and it was such a pleasure to be able to meet her in person.

Hallmark audiences regularly see your designs. What has it been like working with Hallmark, and who are some of your favorite people you’ve worked with at the network?

My favourite people from Hallmark are all of the amazing costume designers I get to work with. In particular, Barbara Gregusova, the costume designer for When Calls The Heart (and a bunch of Hallmark movies as well!). Barbara is such a lovely person and so easy to work with. We have been working together for many years now and I love being able to create pieces that fit her vision for each character that she dresses. Alison Sweeney was a huge treat to meet and Andrea Brooks is such a sweetheart as well. It’s always exciting to be able to meet the actresses in person and to be able to talk with them and learn more about what their interests are outside of work. Everyone that I’ve worked with and met throughout the years that work on the Hallmark films has been an absolute pleasure. Nothing but creative, kind people with big hearts!

Do you ever get to go to any of the sets when they are filming?

I do get to go to the sets when I drop off jewelry for the costume designers. It’s really neat to see the behind-the-scenes of movie making and to be able to meet the people behind the production.

Holly Robinson Peete Morning Show Mysteries

As a jewelry designer, what are your specific responsibilities when your jewelry is selected to be worn in these various productions?

One fun fact about the jewelry and costumes in the Hallmark movies (and other shows) is that they order doubles of everything. This way when they have a stunt double, they can be dressed exactly the same as the character. Also, in case something is lost they have a backup piece, especially if they have to reshoot any scenes. I really try to meet the needs of each costume designer, whether it is special designs like the jewelry used on the Aurora Teagarden movies or a winter/Christmas theme that might need snowflakes, like Alison Sweeney’s movie Christmas At Holly Lodge. Working with costume designers adds another element of creativity for me and I enjoy collaborating on specific designs that are different from my regular collection.

What are some of the productions this summer where your jewelry will be seen?

Candace Cameron Bure
Aurora Teagarden

Candace Cameron Bure wore my designs in her recent Aurora Teagarden movie this July!

What is your advice to people who might be considering jewelry design as a career?

Making friends with other designers is always a great idea. Learning from each other and helping to create a community of creative, like-minded people will help you go the distance. You have to have a lot of hustle in your heart and a deep-rooted passion for the industry in order to succeed because it can be really tough. If you are always learning and loving what you’re doing, you will do very well in a jewelry design career.

When you do have downtime, what do you like to do for fun?

When I’m not in my studio creating, you can find me cheering my son on at the ballpark. We are a dedicated baseball-loving family and I love supporting all of the kids and being with the other families too. Animals hold a special place in my heart and our family has three cats that I absolutely adore taking care of. They also keep me company while I’m working every day. Crafting is my big passion, so as long as I am always being creative, making things and having fun, I am a happy person. And of course, I love watching TV and movies! HGTV is one of my favourites to watch because everyone is being creative and making things with their hands. Watching other people do what they love and succeeding in life brings a big smile to my face and happiness in my life.

I am the first one to assert that when watching a film of any kind, for me, fashion is often an afterthought. I do not consciously notice what a particular actor is wearing unless it stands out for positive or negative reasons. However, I can also assure my readers that even in the case of accessories, if these essential items were missing, I have a feeling even I would recognize the disparity. Quite often, even with unobservant audience members like me, the overall ambiance of a film is formulated by a variety of designers, and it is nice to know that Brooke happens to be one of those talented and special people. The fact that she works behind-the-scenes and still has a positive outlook regarding Hallmark is something that only causes me to love this network even more. I have often stated that I can always count on getting the “real story” from the crew, and in a sense, Brooke is a part of that distinctive group. I adore the fact that she has had numerous, enjoyable experiences with Hallmark and other networks, and in truth, even a “fashion illiterate” like me can appreciate her contributions.

If you have not had the opportunity to watch the most recent Aurora Teagarden film and/or Morning Show Mysteries, I would invite you to check out Hallmark Movies & Mysteries and keep an attentive eye alert for when these films happen to replay. And if you haven’t seen the Murder, She Baked films or even Destination Wedding, these regularly replay on the network as well and should be readily available to stream and/or watch on DVD. No matter what you choose to watch on Hallmark or elsewhere if the film or show is shot in the Vancouver, BC area, there is a definite possibility that you may see an original Brooklyn Designs item on your TV screen. Additionally, to ensure you never miss an opportunity to view one of these incredible designs featured on your screen by checking out all of Brooke’s links below and following her where applicable. I am extremely thankful for Brooke and how she willingly labors behind-the-scenes to devise unique and beautiful creations that can complete the wonderful looks we see regularly on-screen.

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