The CultureMap Interview

With A-list fans like Eva Longoria, jewelry designer Claudia Lobao is hardly desperate

Gold accents, colorful stones, bold shapes — Claudia Lobão's jewelry collection has a bit of everything for fashionistas who love to accessorize. With a strong background in the arts, the Brazilian-born designer incorporates her love for gemstones and hand-crafted elements to create a line that exudes sex appeal, elegance and boldness.

Since designing her first collection in 2001, her brand has evolved tremendously. It became a staple on ABC's hit show Desperate Housewives and a favorite among A-list celebrities such as Eva Longoria and Jessica Alba.

During a recent trunk show at Tootsies in Houston, we sat down with Claudia to get the scoop on her next collection, find out where she finds her inspiration and pick up style advice on what every woman must have this season.

CultureMap: How did you venture into the world of jewelry design?

Claudia Lobão: I started designing jewelry after college. I went to an art school in Brazil, and I also worked as a fashion model. I always knew that I was going to create something in the fashion industry, I just didn't know what I was going to make. After college, I moved to NYC and began working in banking.

It was a great job, but I always made my own jewelry. When September 11 happened, I decided that I had to do what I love. My husband bought me some stones, and I started designing and crocheting jewelry to sell to my co-workers; all the women loved it. That's when it all began.

CM: How would you describe your design aesthetic?

CL: It's bold. I try to make pieces with statement. I like for people to see the jewelry and know that it's mine. It's bold for a woman who is practical, who can wear something from the day to night. It's classic at the same time.

CM: Tell us about your spring 2013 collection. What can we expect to see?

CL: We are adding lots of colors. It's all about the colors this season. Back when I started designing, I used a lot of stones and thread. Now, I'm using very high-end stones and mixing these stones with organic materials like wood and leather. I'm mixing my signature elements with an organic look. You're definitely going to see more color in this collection.

CM: Where did you find inspiration for your designs?

CL: I find inspiration in everyday things. This past summer, I didn't travel a lot. I was at my design studio in San Antonio and I had no new ideas. I felt like I was drying. I didn't know what I was going to do until I had a trip to a trunk show. The retail customers, they feed me. I came back from the trip, and I was so ready. I knew exactly what I was going to do. So, the women, they inspire me.

CM: What are three key accessories women should have in their wardrobe this season?

CL: Every woman should own a good pair of hoops. Hoop earrings are essential for every season. A long chain and a beautiful bracelet is also must.

CM: Do you have any personal style icons? Anyone's style that you admire?

CL: Eva Longoria. She wears a lot of our jewelry. I love her style because she doesn't only wear fancy, expensive things. She mixes it up. She can wear an H&M dress and wear it well. She makes anything look great. But I believe that every woman is beautiful. I always find something stylish in everyone.

CM: How did your jewelry get featured on Desperate Housewives?

CL: I met Eva Longria in San Antonio. She came into our flagship store back in 2005, when she had just started doing Desperate Housewives. She liked everything in the store, and she suggested that I meet the stylist of the show since a lot of the pieces were her style. The next day, she flew me to LA and introduced me to stylist, Cate Adair, and Cate started buying for the show.

At the end, she said that it was the jewelry she used most for the show. Every Sunday, we had something sent to the set.

CM: What can we expect next from Claudia Lobão Designs?

CL: I would like to start a dog collar line. Jewelry for dogs. My husband and I have two dogs that we adopted, and we love them. I think my customers would like that. I would also love to create handbags in the future.

San Antonio-based jewelry designer to the stars Claudia Lobao.

8, Claudia Lobao trunk show, jewelry, Tootsies, February 2013

Photo by Adrienne Raquel

San Antonio-based jewelry designer to the stars Claudia Lobao.

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Fashion on display

Rare Halston fashion exhibition now on display in unlikely Texas city

Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen Noël Art Museum

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

A rare exhibition honoring fashion pioneer Halston has popped up in an unexpected place: West Texas. Dallas fashionistas who are fans of the designer can make a five-hour pilgrimage to Odessa’s newly revamped Ellen Noël Art Museum to view "Halston: Inventing American Fashion."

Halston’s minimalistic fashions are rarely the subjects of retrospectives, although the designer’s dramatic life story recently had a pop-cultural resurgence through a 2021 Ryan Murphy miniseries. "Halston: Inventing American Fashion" assesses the talent that made him a household name.

Known now for outfitting 1970s icons like Liza Minelli and Bianca Jagger, Halston changed the international reputation of American sportswear as part of the famous 1973 “Battle of Versailles” fashion show, holding his own against Paris’ most lauded couturiers. His uniquely louche style still influences contemporary brands like Marc Jacobs, Zac Posen, and Tom Ford, who was briefly the creative director for a revised Halston label.

The mannequins in the Odessa display are outfitted with 75 ensembles from flowing Ultrasuede daywear to more dramatic draped gowns. The pieces “illustrate how Halston revolutionized fashion by prioritizing comfort, confidence, and modern femininity,” according to a release.

Although Odessa may seem an odd choice for the show, Halston had deep Texas connections. After he moved on from hat making, Amarillo millionaire Estelle Marsh was his sole backer willing to fund his first Madison Avenue boutique.

$Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum, Odessa, new facade.$ The new facade at Ellen Noël Art MuseumPhoto courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

$Halston: Inventing American Fashion exhibit Ellen No\u00ebl Art Museum$

Photo courtesy of Ellen Noël Art Museum

An colorful eveningwear grouping takes advantage of Ellen Noël Art Museum's curved walls.

And the recently completed renovation of Odessa's Ellen Noël Art Museum has some of the designer’s signature sleek. Designed by architect R.J. Lopez, the renovation includes new galleries and improved circulation, but the centerpiece is a striking transparent façade, replacing the original brick of the 1985 building.

“The renovation project has been over 10 years in the making and in the construction phase for the past two years,” says the museum’s buildings manager, Steve Patton, via a release. “The completion of the project has resulted in an incredible facility that is a shining star in West Texas, offering programs and exhibits that will be a destination point for people all over the world!”

"Halston: Inventing American Fashion" will run through March 22. Admission to the Ellen Noël Art Museum is free.

exhibits odessa fashion west texas museums designer texas