Third Crown
For Third Crown, New York based co-designers Kristin and Kofi Essel fuse their love of geometric shapes with the details found in their architectural surroundings to create their collection of men’s and women’s jewelry. Their shared desire to delve into the accessories world came early on for the co-creatives. After graduating from Florida State University with a BS in Apparel Design, Kristin interned at David Yurman before stints at Reed Krakoff (on the jewelry team) and then at Eddie Borgo. Kofi, studied Menswear at FIT and went on to spend time at various men's apparel brands.
Applying their collective experience and passion, the husband-and-wife team launched the brand and named it Third Crown to celebrate the merging of two forces coming together to form something new - a powerful pair. The brand creates gender neutral everyday statement pieces. With their collection, the designers celebrate their mutual fascination with structure, architectural lines, and bold accents. Gold and silver plated brass are used to create a mood that’s at once restrained but full of attitude. Each piece is defined by clean lines and an understated chic, turning them in to wardrobe essentials.
In the short time since its debut, Third Crown has already caught the attention of style setters including Beyonce and Solange Knowles.
When did you first become interested in fashion?
Kofi: I've been drawing for as long as i can remember and i eventually started drawing clothes and stuck with it.
Kristin: I started designing in elementary school drawing croquis (My mom still has them).
What inspired you to start your own collection? How did you start your line?
Kofi: The jewelry we kept seeing was dainty and seemed in-cohesive between genders and we wanted to fill that gap.
Kristin: I hand made Kofi a rosary and everyone kept asking about it so we decided to take the jump .start our own line was very challenging.
What challenges did you face getting the line off the ground?
Kofi: I would say the finances needed to start and run a business is the main challenge. We weren't ready for everything we encountered. From building the product to building the brand and figuring out how to market it was hard with just the two of us.
Kristin: There was a lot to take on between the two of us; wholesale, retail, being self funded, working full time while building our own business was challenging.
Tell us about your latest collection.
The PRIZM COLLECTION is the latest story in our continued expression of architecturally inspired geometric designs. It celebrates the power of the pair in the city that never sleeps. Inspired by a faceted building facade, we designed a prism shape that is the foundation of all the pieces in this collection creating a focused and cohesive story: New York grit with an elegant edge.
Applying their collective experience and passion, the husband-and-wife team launched the brand and named it Third Crown to celebrate the merging of two forces coming together to form something new - a powerful pair. The brand creates gender neutral everyday statement pieces. With their collection, the designers celebrate their mutual fascination with structure, architectural lines, and bold accents. Gold and silver plated brass are used to create a mood that’s at once restrained but full of attitude. Each piece is defined by clean lines and an understated chic, turning them in to wardrobe essentials.
In the short time since its debut, Third Crown has already caught the attention of style setters including Beyonce and Solange Knowles.
Shop Third crown now!
