Madeleine Etter was born and raised in a small town in Southeastern Ohio. She has been making and selling jewelry for most of her life. In 2009 she obtained her BFA in Fashion Design from The Columbus College of Art & Design.
"As a child growing up in rural Ohio, my artist father used to take my sister and I to freshly plowed cornfields to dig for fossils and arrowheads. The simplicity of digging a material from beneath the earth with my hands that had some special purposed fascinated me. I think that largely contributed to my choice of materials: rocks and metal. I work with brass, copper, silver, and semiprecious gemstones. I prefer the look of un-faceted, natural materials and often incorporate raw gems into my designs."
Are you Phyllis or Hazel? I get asked that a lot. My name is Maddie and my jewelry line is named Phyllis & Hazel. Phyllis and Hazel were my two guinea pigs in college. My fiance suggested I name the jewelry line after them as a joke.
It stuck.
WHO ARE PHYLLIS & HAZEL?
photograph courtesy of Nathan C. Ward
While designs tend to be quirky and a little twisted, it’s equally important that the pieces be wearable and interchangeable. Phyllis + Hazel strives to create jewelry that will stand the test of time, while maintaining a distinctly handmade and artful quality.
All items are handmade by Madeleine Etter in Columbus, Ohio.
