Posts tagged jimmy buddha

Point #64: Innovator’s Award Winner for Technical Innovation: Jimmy Buddha – Diablo Organics

SONY DSCInterview by Shanna Dickey

Shanna Dickey: Congratulations on winning the Technical Innovator Award this year.
Jimmy Buddha:
I appreciate it, and a big “thank you” to the APP community and everyone who was a part of this year’s Conference. We couldn’t be happier to bring home the Technical Innovator Award. In a craft that has been around for thousands of years, it is difficult to come up with new, innovative concepts, and to be recognized among a community of trail blazers is a great honor.

SD: How do you come up with your ideas?
JB:
As a piercer for more than 15 years, I have insight into body jewelry function and design. When I work with people who have specific body modification needs, I love the challenge; that’s what gets me going in the morning.

SD: What is your design process?Point64-Buddha Award Winning Jewelry 2
JB:
It’s really organic and depends upon the materials around me. I just start playing with a design and incorporate function for that specific material. If I like something, I run with it.

SD: Who inspires you?
JB:
I get inspiration from our industry’s wide array of individuals. That’s what keeps me here: the independence and originality.

SD: What was your new technical innovation?
JB:
I designed spreader hooks for JP. They were created from 28-million-year-old megalodon teeth unearthed in the deltas of the southeastern US. They took about eight months to complete, from sourcing the material to designing the piece.

SD: How are spreader hooks innovative?
JB:
People with large stretched lobes want to wear heavy weight without permanently damaging their ears. Heavy weights can leave sore spots and even cause thinning of the lobe itself. The spreader hooks help to distribute the weight over a larger surface area than traditional hooks. It also turned out to be a pretty sexy design element for the piece overall.

SD: Do you create custom orders for a lot of people?
JB:
I put a lot of time and energy into custom orders and try not to overextend myself. Sometimes they can take a year to complete. A lot of the designs we create have limited availability, so we have to reshape and transform to stay current. That way even our “classic” products are limited and have a custom feel.

SD: How is working with an individual different than designing for your new lines?
JB:
Everybody’s needs are different. With regular catalog designs, I have to compromise. With custom orders, I have the opportunity to really focus on their specific modification needs.

Point64-Buddha Award Winning JewelrySD: What did you think of this year’s fashion show?
JB:
I was really excited to be a part of the fashion show. I think it was a great success and an important direction to move in for body modification, fashion, and jewelry. Everyone really stepped up to the plate, and we made each other look good.

SD: What was most memorable at this year’s APP Conference?
JB:
The APP Conference is a family reunion of sorts. I have built some really strong relationships over the years, and APP gives me the opportunity to visit with friends I don’t otherwise get to see. It’s also my chance to make connections with our new clients and continue to build those relationships.

SD: What are you currently working on?
JB:
I want to make sure our designs stay fresh and relevant. We are a wholesale company and customers have a lot of different shopping options today. We want to keep our clients in the loop and remain competitive. I have assembled a great team to help with every step of the way.

SD: Tell me a little bit about your team?
JB:
Jenny and Shanna are holding down the fort in Austin five days a week, always willing to answer any questions. Lauren is traveling around the States in “La Diablita”—our little red Diablo Organics’ car—and heading to a shop near you. We are really focusing on customer service and providing a good product to our clients. Our designs have been really well received, and we continue to evolve as a company and team.

SD: What do you have in store for the next year?
JB:
I’ve been focused on creating a strong infrastructure in Austin. I feel like now I can really begin to search for different raw materials, and continue to look for new methods, techniques, designs for that next big thing. I’ll let you know when I find it…

Point #60: Award Winner for Technical Innovation – Jason Pfohl – Gorilla Glass

By Jimmy Buddha

JIMMY: How did you ever come up with an original idea like o-ring grooves on the back of a single flare plug?
JASON: Most of my best ideas come from my customers. Piercers have been asking for this particular design for quite some time; I just had to get off my ass and start making them!

JIMMY: When you change designs from a functional or technical standpoint, is this usually based on feedback you get from piercers and customers?
JASON: Dude, I already answered that question. Pay attention.

JIMMY: How does your personal experience in body modification influence your work?
JASON: I had my flats punched by Zak Zito at 10mm and healed them with glass in under a month. That helped me to better understand the healing process and also in designing jewelry for conches, flats, and septums. Lobes are so much more flexible than cartilage, and the flares and wearing lengths are completely different.

JIMMY: Do you think there is much more room for “technical innovation” when it comes to jewelry, or are things tapped out? Where do we go from here?
JASON: I think there will always be room for technical innovation. Major breakthroughs such as internally threaded jewelry and surface anchors are landmark events in the modern piercing industry, but there are more subtle technical innovations in jewelry design happening all the time. Check out Morton Manley’s hoop variations, or Quetzalli’s soulful experiments. The jewelry companies and designers are more sophisticated now than at any time in our history.

JIMMY: Now that you are over 40, really old in other words, maybe you could take a minute to reflect…do you feel you have gained some wisdom and insight into why we are all in this industry?
JASON: I can’t speak for you, but I love making jewelry and working with glass…plus there are some great perks like getting to travel all over the world and hang out with my awesome friends.

JIMMY: Since you are in Oaxaca, Mexico full time, do you find it difficult to stay up to date and in touch with how the piercing scene changes and progresses? What do you do to stay current and relevant?
JASON: Luckily for the rest of the planet, Texas has never been the center of the universe. Plus the Internet has really transformed the piercing scene and created an amazing international on-line community that continues to grow. You should check it out! When I design jewelry I don’t follow existing trends, but make technical experiments with glass production techniques.

JIMMY: What other challenges do being set up in Mexico pose for you when it comes to manufacturing your jewelry?
JASON: My main challenges are importing raw materials and exporting finished goods.

JIMMY: I was lucky enough to have visited your new glass facility in Oaxaca recently and was very impressed. Will this allow Gorilla Glass to expand?
JASON: Gorilla Glass has been growing steadily every year since we started in 2002. We won’t slow down as long as there is more and more demand for our jewelry. Owning my own land and production studio is incredible. Thanks to all my customers for helping make that dream real! My newest project is a downtown art gallery to promote glass art in Mexico.

JIMMY: Should we expect to see a lot of new and exciting things from you?
JASON: Stop asking dumb questions.

JIMMY: You have put together an amazing team of workers in Mexico in your office and manufacturing. What are some of the challenges you face managing such a diverse group of individuals?
JASON: The diversity of people working with me has never presented a problem. Generally I try to find what an individual is good at and enjoys doing, and then give them responsibilities that match their strengths and background.

JIMMY: How did you get into glass?
JASON: In 1992 I was living in my van in California and made friends with a group of stoner surfer kids who introduced me to my first glass bong. That inspired me to enroll in a glass-blowing class at Santa Barbara City College. I was attracted to the heat and physicality of working with the material. Later on I met Dale Chihuly and he invited me to study at his famous glass school, Pilchuck. I ended up getting a job there and that’s when things got interesting.

JIMMY: Did you ever imagine that you would be making body jewelry in Mexico?
JASON: Gorilla Glass was born in Mexico City. I don’t think I imagined it. I focus on doing things.

JIMMY: As Gorilla Glass faces more competition from “cheap foreign-made glass,” specifically Indian and Chinese, what is your game plan to stay competitive?
JASON: There has been “cheap foreign-made glass” on the market for at least five years and I have never seen them as competition. My customer base is the best-of-the-best piercing shops that are proud to carry brand name jewelry. Plus we are constantly innovating with new designs and custom work, so we always have something fresh and different for our customers.

JIMMY: How does your company and its products differ from the “cheap foreign made” glass?
JASON: We are a quality company that has been around for ten years; we are passionate about what we do and we take care of our customers.

JIMMY: Knowing that I blazed the glass body jewelry trail in the mid 90s for you with Jimmy Buddha’s Glassware, do you think you would have been as successful as you have been with your jewelry had I not been there to open the door up for you, so to speak?
JASON: I never heard of Jimmy Buddha’s Glassware before…it must not have been very successful. That’s understandable; glass is a difficult material to work with and takes a lot of patience and skill. I’m glad you had better luck with organics, Jimmy!

Point #60: Award Winner for Creative Innovation – Jimmy Buddha-Diablo Organics

By Jason Pfohl

JASON: What makes your jewelry innovative?
JIMMY: I like to take risks with my designs…. I like people to be able to look at my stuff and say “That is a Jimmy Buddha piece.” So I guess by default I come up with some stuff that is innovative!

JASON: Do you do preliminary sketches, drawings, or models before making the final jewelry?
JIMMY: All of my pieces are fairly well developed concepts before the process starts. Most of the materials I use are too expensive to just shoot from the hip. I do, however, believe in changing things up or or even scrapping projects and starting all over if things just aren’t coming together. I’ve learned that translating an idea or drawing into a 3D reality can be very challenging. 

JASON: Do you design the jewelry with a particular individual in mind?
JIMMY: Not usually, but in this case most certainly. Pineapple needed something epic to complement his amazing tattoos and mods, so it was my goal to create something special for him.

JASON: Do you generally imagine jewelry to be worn in matching sets (plugs, septum, and labret)?
JIMMY: Now I do. I feel it’s only been in the last few years that there is a demand for such things when it comes to jewelry for large holes. Seeing this change is one of the things that makes me feel good about the direction of body piercing and the ability of the jewelry to play a role in that.

JASON: How would do you describe the aesthetic of your jewelry?
JIMMY: I am all over the place when it comes to jewelry design…having pierced for fifteen years I know there are all types of people wanting all types of jewelry. But with the Jimmy Buddha Design line, I am trying to go for a higher-end more refined look that complements the individual’s piercings and reflects the value of them to the world.

JASON: Is there any symbolism or significance in these pieces?
JIMMY: I very rarely attach symbolic meaning to things. These pieces have an impact onpeople, and that is a personal experience.

JASON: Are you a hippie Buddhist or what?
JIMMY: Nah…I think we are all fucked. 

JASON: What is your philosophy working with traditional carvers to make contemporary piercing jewelry?
JIMMY: I feel that making jewelry for large gauge piercings was a lost art/skill, just as some of the skills of the traditional carvers I work with once were at risk of becoming. I have a passion for both of these and have dedicated myself to keeping them alive and viable in the twenty-first century. 

JASON: How long have you been collaborating with Balinese carvers?
JIMMY: I started working with the family I am still with today ten years ago. It has been an amazing experience, helping me grow as an individual and a designer. Without them helping me along for the last ten years, I wouldn’t be where I am today. 

JASON: What is your interaction with the carvers like? Is communication an issue?
JIMMY: Communication is an issue, of course; it is not usually strictly a language barrier, but a conceptual one. As a designer I find words inadequate for expressing my ideas. I rely heavily on detailed drawings and making three-dimensional prototypes personally. Then, of course, my crew of carvers has been doing this for a while now and they pick up on things quickly and make my job so much easier. 

JASON: How many hours of carving were involved in making this jewelry?
JIMMY: This set was trial by fire. It was not so much the actual carving that took so long, but figuring out the order of the steps involved. This set took five craftsmen to complete, each with their own special expertise. So making sure that things were done in the right order was my main concern. Now that we have gone through the learning curve it will be much easier in the future. 

JASON: Do you use child labor because only their small hands can carve such detailed pieces?
JIMMY: Many people have the same misinformation about the child labor. It’s not because of their small hands but because they can’t break the chains. 

JASON: How much did you pay your carvers for these?
JIMMY: Watery gruel and a chunk of hard brown bread. 

JASON: What appeals to you about fossilized ivory as a material?
JIMMY: Since I was a little kid I was always digging around in the dirt finding stuff… marbles, fossils, whatever. I guess I have never really grown up, it’s just the stuff I find is bigger and more expensive! When it comes to jewelry, ivory has a warmth and soft glow to it that other materials do not have, and the human body loves it. When it comes to workability it is unmatched as a medium…these pieces attest to the detail that can be attained. 

JASON: Do you feel guilty for helping cause the extinction of the mastodon?
JIMMY: My only regret is that I was never able to shoot one myself and mount it on my wall.

JASON: Do you have any personal anecdotes about your experience designing this magnificent set?
JIMMY: There were a couple of redesigns midway through these. The most frustrating was me forgetting to erase some pencil lines that very quickly became carved lines, but in the end it actually made for a nicer pattern!

JASON: What is the most challenging aspect of designing custom jewelry?
JIMMY: It is very time consuming, and the details are the key to custom jewelry. When I make something custom for someone, I want it to be perfect. It needs to not only fit right but they need to love the piece for me to be happy with it.

JASON: Do you always resort to taking bath salts when you are getting your ass kicked by a gorilla?
JIMMY: The only thing that matters is the end result: the banana whipped some monkey ass! [Editor’s note: These are references to entertainment provided by Jason and Jimmy during the Conference banquet.]

Gorilla versus Banana— photo by Brian Skellie
Gorilla versus Banana
photo by Brian Skellie