Everyday Wearable Art

Texas designer gets down to the wire to create nature-inspired jewelry

Some say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but Texas-based jewelry designer Shelli Hoggarth of Neke Designs knows better. She uses sculpted metals and precious stones such as amethyst, blue topaz and green onyx to make petal-shaped necklaces, stack rings and organically shaped earrings — a girl’s constant companions.

Hoggarth has been meddling with metal since 2006, around the time she was preparing to get married, she says. Without formal training, Hoggarth followed the trial-and-error method to create something special for her wedding day when she couldn’t find anything in store that she liked.

Designer Shelli Hoggarth sculpts every piece from wire using traditional metalsmith techniques, down to the fasteners and clasps.

“Needless to say, that piece of jewelry was not worn at my wedding, but it sparked a new obsession,” she says.

Inspired by nature — and perhaps farm-filled Aledo, a town about 25 miles west of Fort Worth, where she currently resides — Hoggarth sculpts every piece from wire using traditional metalsmith techniques. The gold and silver metals come from New Mexico; the stones are from India.

Perhaps most impressive, unlike most designers, who source their fasteners and clasps, Hoggarth makes everything from the wire, “down to the ear wires and necklace clasps,” she says. Hoggarth recycles too.

“I try to not waste any of the metal,” she says. “I've had it melted down to create whole lines.”

Hoggarth has four different collections — Brilliance, Radiance, Nature and Essentials — and she can create custom jewelry upon request. She says that most of her pieces are one-of-a-kind, so everyone who wears Neke Designs can feel special.

To snag a piece of Hoggarth’s dainty jewelry, shop Neke Designs at Omni Dallas, Curiosities, Modern Art Museum in Fort Worth, Art Museum of South Texas and her Etsy shop. Prices range from $38 to $250.

Jewelry designer Shelli Hoggarth creates everything from the wire, including the ear wires and necklace clasps.

Photo courtesy of Neke Designs

Jewelry designer Shelli Hoggarth creates everything from the wire, including the ear wires and necklace clasps.

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Shopping News

Where to shop in Dallas right now: 7 zany new stores to check out

Thrifted Threads

Thrifted Threads chill vibe

With the holidays on the horizon, shopping is on the rise. This November edition of Where to Shop, CultureMap's monthly roundup of new shops, sales, and alternative shopping, has five unique new openings, ranging from fashion to skin care to sports apparel.

The roundup also includes two non-traditional entries, including a new benefits program at an area mall, and a place to get your passport — in case you're planning on shopping abroad.

Here's where to shop in Dallas for November:

Baseballism
Baseball camp that transformed into an off-field baseball clothing brand is now open at Allen Premium Outlets. The store offers baseball-themed clothing, hats, and accessories. Their collection features collaborations with several big league names, including MLB, Babe Ruth, Vin Scully and Field of Dreams. Caps and hoodies are especially popular items, such as the Junior's Silhouette for $36 or the short Sleeve Yankees hoodie for $79.

Firewheel Town Center
Garland shopping center is in the giving spirit with its latest Shop, Dine & Save program. Visitors can shop or dine at select stores, including Buckle, DSW, and Razzoo's, Ferah Tex-Med Kitchen, and receive a $25 Simon giftcard when they spend $150 or more. To get the giftcard, receipts have to be shown at the mall management office and include at least one shop and one restaurant from the same day. The special lasts through November 27.

Hill House
Originally a bedding company that launched in 2016, Hill House has extended their collection to offer home, accessories, baby & kids, bridal, and apparel. They opened a location in NorthPark Center at the end of October — their first in Texas and only their fifth store. Hill House is best known for the "Nap Dress," a flowing dress made for day or night wear. There's also a short version of the dress, such as the Scarlett Long Sleeve Mini, a plaid dress for $188. Just in time for season, they've launched holiday pajamas, featuring pajama sets, robes, and children's sets.

Glossier
Skincare, beauty, and fragrance concept just opened a 1,000 square-foot store at NorthPark Center, featuring its trademark whimsical displays that one might mistake for an art supply or paint store. They sell fragrances, scented skin creams, balms, cleansers, moisturizers, makeup, eyelash curlers, and other beauty products, a little on the pricey side, but they make the shopping experience fun with an immersive shopping experience. That stuff doesn't come for free. This is their 12 location in the U.S., joining Atlanta, Boston, Brooklyn, Chicago, DC, Las Vegas, London, Los Angeles, NYC, Philadelphia, and Seattle.

Rally House
Sports apparel chain opened a location at Rockwall Crossing Shopping Center in Rockwall, with merchandise — headwear, accessories, collectibles — dedicated to Dallas-area teams including Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers, Dallas Stars, and college teams like the Texas Longhorns, Texas Tech Red Raiders, and Texas A&M Aggies. They also offer locally-themed apparel and accessories that celebrate Dallas destinations and landmarks, such as an Uscape Pom Mens Knit Hat with a graphic of the Dallas skyline for $30 or a long sleeve Dallas sweatshirt for $42. This is the 22nd location in Dallas-Fort Worth.

Thrifted Threads
Houston-based vintage clothing reseller just made its debut in Deep Ellum at 2646 Main St. #620, next to Vidorra. Thrifted Threads was founded by Laith Awad, who began reselling clothes in 2017, initially as an online store until he opened a location in 2022 in Houston's Montrose District when he was only 18. He opened a second store in College Station in 2023. Deep Ellum is the third. They're known vintage apparel from jerseys to sweatshirts and hats, as well as collections of color-sorted clothes from the 70s to the 2000s. It's more than a store, with arcade games that don't require coins to play, a motorcycle display, and ice cream.

Collin County Passport Office
If you're "shopping" for a passport, a passport office just reopened in the Collin County Courthouse at 2100 Bloomdale Rd., McKinney. The new passport acceptance office will initially be appointment only, with bookings available through the District Clerk's website. Plans are underway to introduce same-day and walkup services in the near future.

openings where to shop