The Crate Collective

By Monica Morones

Local jewelry designer Amanda Kanoski, owner of The Crate Collective, has been hard at work creating one of kind designs, cool urban accessories, and custom personal pieces that draw in clients of all ages. Her eclectic designs are reminiscent of Art Deco and at the same time futuristic and fashion forward. With no limit to her creativity, 32 year old Kanoski has a bright future ahead.

MM: You make custom jewelry and accessories made out of laser cut/etched out acrylics and wood pieces. Tell me how you got started:

AK: I’ve always made jewelry of some kind. Beads, leather, whatever I could get my hands on. I had just started a big collection of hand cut leather pieces that I did really well with online but I just felt like I wanted to branch out. I broke out my saw and started to cut shapes out of thin pieces of wood. I would paint them or encase them in resin. I loved the resin ones but needed an easier way to cut the shapes so I did my research on the laser cutter and just started going crazy once that thing was in my life!

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MM: Where are you from?

AK: I was born in Illinois but when I was 7 my dad decided he wanted to move my family to California. My parents were big time hippies and use to live in San Francisco in the 60’s. My Dad loved this part of the country so I think he just wanted to make his way back west. I was raised in Cali but I still remember every part of Illinois.

MM: How did you choose the name for your company?

AK: We use to go to L.A. to go “crate digging” where you basically dig through all the crap vinyl to find that one gem you can take home. My company started off as Crate Diggz but since I decided to branch out and really grow I changed it to The Crate Collective so that it expressed more of a collection of jewelry and accessories.

MM: What would you describe as your style?

AK: Definitely statement pieces. Not a lot of my stuff is every day. It’s big, sometimes loud, and it’s got a lot of personality. I use a lot of influences from street wear, art, music, and vintage jewelry. I have also fallen in love with making customs. I love having someone describe their idea and then seeing the final product.

MM: You worked the Synergy Fest in 2013 and also did the 760 Trade Show in Cathedral City this year. What is it like being a local vendor?

AK: Synergy Fest was different from what I expected. I thought it would be nice to be seen as one of the artists in the valley and be showcased along with all of the other artists that were there. I guess there was some miscommunication so I got placed in a really bad spot far away from all of the other booths. We had a really rough day as far as business goes. No one even knew we were way in the back. Then I got asked to do the 760 Trade Show. There was hesitation because of the last show but I decided to go ahead and do it. Good thing I did, that was a great show! I sold ton of pieces right then and there. I had people contacting me for custom orders and bulk pieces just days after the show. I guess it just all depends on the demographic of the crowd and the type of festival you do that will determine if you are successful that day.

MM: What do you think is your biggest challenge in business as an artist?

AK: For me I think it’s having the equipment and know how. I taught myself graphic design so I can draw out my designs all day in my head but if I get to the actual design process and there’s some technique I don’t know how to do, it really slows me down. I feel like I could get my designs out 10 times faster if I wasn’t also learning in the process. I’ve made things that I’ve put online and have had larger companies copy my designs! It’s so frustrating when you’re the small guy and they feel the need to take your ideas.

MM: What do you think of the art scene in the Coachella Valley?

AK: It has grown so much it’s crazy! I love that there is finally a scene out here. For the past 12 years I’ve been back and forth from the L.A. area to here and it’s funny how I would always say that there’s no culture here like you see in larger urban areas, yet we are getting so big. It’s changing though. Even just seeing city owned electrical boxes painted with an entire art piece is so refreshing. I love seeing people pop up with new art pieces or even a new way of making art that you don’t always get to see.

MM: What do you want to happen for your company in the future?

AK: I just want to see all of my visions realized. I want everything in my head out as a physical item. Of course like anyone, I’d like to grow, add more products, reach a larger market but I think for personal satisfaction just knowing I actually made all of my designs available for another person to have would make me happy.

MM: Where can people buy your product?

AK: As of right now I’m exclusively on Etsy.

etsy.com/shop/TheCrateCollective

Like The Crate Collective on facebook.com/thecratecollective