Hello
Laura Molander is a mixed media wearable artist. Her jewelry and accessories line Yohanna is her Hebrew name she was given after her grandmother Janie. She is a collector of strange and beautiful things. Often incorporating recycled and found objects into her work. With an MFA in Costume Technology, she was trained to work with mediums that range from textiles, leather, and bead stitching to clay, thermoplastics, and metal smithing. Her true love has always been making one of a kind wearable art in the form of bold statement jewelry pieces. For those not afraid to be unequivocally true to their unique and beautiful self!
"Being an artist is about storytelling and seeing something not for what it is, but for what it could be."
My Story
I began my first jewelry line in high school, selling items on consignment in Cincinnati, Kentucky, and California. I went on to obtain a BSD in Fashion Design in DAAP at the University of Cincinnati. I very quickly realized that most of the fashion jobs were in commercial fast fashion, where as my love was in beautifully handcrafted one of a kind pieces. While at UC, my first co-op job ended up being at a costume rental place called Costume Gallery-Newport. I instantly fell in love with the story telling component of costuming and the fact that every project was different and unique. Taking this learning experience, I went on to get my MFA in Costume Technology at University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. For the last 14 years, I have been working crafting and patterning custom made wearable costume pieces for the performing arts. But I never forgot my love of jewelry. So, I'm taking a leap of faith in myself and returning to my first love. I'm ready to find out where this new chapter will take me!
Contact
I'm always looking for new and exciting opportunities. Let's connect.
859-904-9542