MASON MCEWEN - ENTREPRENEUR + FOUNDER OF MASON BLEU DESIGNS

In this Conversating with Yhorlife we got to conversate with Mason McEwen. As an unashamed jewelry-junkie I’ve been OBSESSED with Mason’s designs from his brand Mason Bleu Designs. He’s an Entrepreneur and Founder of Mason Bleu Designs. I’m SUPER excited for this Conversating with Mason. I hope you enjoy this Conversating as much as I do - Enjoy!

©MASONMCEWEN

Hi Mason, thank you for joining me for our Conversating Series. Yes, thank you.

How would you introduce yourself to people who are unaware of you…

Hi, my name is Mason McEwen I just graduated from college a couple of months ago in San Francisco. I recently decided to see if I could pursue making jewelry full time. It is and was a very hard thing to decide; if I was going to pursue an office job, or something creative. Would you say that was a real crossroads (for you) … oh yes!

Well I can definitely say that I am happy that you chose creative; because I am a jewelry fanatic. My brother introduced me to your jewelry… and I am obsessed. I personally love how you have the heritage, yet the modern, and it is all handmade. Today everything is so mass produced, but yours has a soul – yet still contemporary.

Yes, exactly. Thank you.

Now that is me describing your company as a jewelry junkie, but how would you describe your company – Mason Bleu Designs? Why and when did you decide to create it…

You honestly kind of nailed it! … yes, well ‘hair-flip to me’. I wanted to be as authentic as possible. I wanted to evoke the human experience, and what it means to be human.

I do not like anything that is mass produced in a factory. It is just kind of worthless in my opinion. I like for my things to be imperfect, organic, and made by actual human hands.

Some of my pieces kind of look like they came out of the ground. For example … back when the Romans were making jewelry they never had factories. Everyone had to make everything by hand.

Having humans make everything just makes for a better society, more authentic. So, that is what I wanted to aim for in my Brand – very handmade, and human.

What would you say is your favorite staple piece? I personally have always loved vintage jewelry – because it has a story. What piece would you say is your go to piece? Was it the rings, the bracelets?

The staple for me would be pure gold, like this ring on my finger. That is gorgeous it is just so chunky – very cool. Yes, that is kind of where I started. I was obsessed with the way it looked and felt in my hand, because it was so heavy.

I remembered that I had seen it a couple of times, and not realizing what it was. I knew what silver was, the lower karat gold was. But there was something about the pure gold to me was appealing.

I had a mission … I knew nothing about making jewelry. Yet, it was something that I had to have. I collected all the gold over time, because as you know it is very expensive. Then I taught myself how to make it by hand.

I ordered some things off of Amazon, found an old desk on the side of the road. I took that and knew that would be my beater desk. Grabbed a torch from HomeDepot – I mean I did not know what I was doing. Then somehow I ended up with these pieces (showing the pieces that he wears). Those are beautiful!

Now these are also silver, but very rough; I had no idea what I was doing. But the gold would be my staple because that is what peaked my interest in hand-making my own jewelry.

Obviously I cannot make gold all the time because it is so expensive. Silver is way more accessible so I started doing that. I do love silver though.

Yes, me too. Actually I love mixing the metals. Yes, me too because my stack is a mix. Oh yes, mine too! Oh nice!

Did you think that it was passion (the creativity) … when you were at University ? – when you realized that you did not know what you were doing; but your desire to learn over took you …

Yes, something about me is that I am very hobby oriented. When I would get home from classes I would be so bored if I was not doing something. I cannot be just on my phone, or computer. Obviously, there is a time for doing this. If I have some free time, I am compelled to be doing something at all times.

So, that made me pick up several hobbies. I have plants, I make my own coffee, and of course my own jewelry. I build things that I need, I customize things that I need. I am always looking to create something, and that is what jewelry does for me.

Part of making jewelry is carving wax models of ring designs, drawing… I have a sketch book of my drawings. I have a ton of designs in there that I have not even touched yet.

I will draw something out (in my sketch book), create that out of wax, and that might take a couple of hours. It is so enjoyable, and keeps my brain occupied.

As a fellow South Bay kid (woohoo). I feel like growing up you either embrace the coastal/creativity feel, or you go super Corporate. Was there a moment you decided you wanted to lean more into the Creativity…

Honestly, I feel so blessed to say that my parents are super supportive of my endeavor. Because they believe in me, and they see the results that I have had thus far. My parents both have corporate jobs, and they know what it is like to work everyday. Some people like that, and some people do not. They know who I am as a person, and they could tell that I am not meant to do that.

After graduating I did have that question – what did I want to do. I studied Marketing. I am still trying to see if I can get a full time job doing Marketing. I do some work for another company, as well as making jewelry. So, I am not full-time making jewelry to support myself.

It is a hard question – ‘​which way do I go?’ I honestly do not know the answer … and it is scary. It is like floating in the middle of the ocean on a piece of wood after shipwrecking. Literally it is like which way is land, and which way do I go. You know that you have to pick something.

So, for now I am going to do both – if I can. Once I feel more comfortable with where I am at, I plan to just fully go all in on making my jewelry. Also, making my company larger. Because now it is small. Well everything starts small...and then it grows. Exactly!

That is what I did until I started my own Accounting firm… it is the same concept. I was too afraid to make a wrong choice, so I did both at the same time. And I have resigned to never getting much sleep for ten years.

My biggest fear is being so afraid to make the wrong choice, so I don’t make any at all. Yes, exactly! It is true! That is something that I honestly struggle with… because I am afraid that I will make the wrong one, then I end up not making any at all.

I am the opposite… I don’t know which way that I am going to go, so I am just going to jump. If it doesn’t work, then that is okay I will just go back to what I was doing. Yes! That is what I need to work on. Yes, it is that Gemini energy – I say what is the worst that can happen. And I don’t think about all the worse things that could happen ...I am like you can always start again.

I am too over analytical… but I want to be like that.

Now the ring that you made for my brother – I call it the Stardust ring, because it looks like stars, like with rough uncut diamonds in it. Oh! I made him like a cuff ring, and then the stretch skull ring that I do. Then the last one was the hammered dome ring. Yes! That is it and it looks like stardust in it!

He might have gone and put the diamond chips in it. Yes! It is so cool looking though.

Now do you like to work with gemstones, or stones, or do you like to work with the purity, or pureness of a metal…

Hmmm that is a good question. I have recently been looking into doing work with gemstones. But actually gemstones … there are a lot of people doing that (working with gemstones). I honestly like just the way the metal looks – it is very clean.

I want to eventually get to the point where I am doing full five to ten finger stacks for people. Ohhhh that is sooo cool! Kinda like similar to the Spinelli ring. But yours are more chunky – I love that.

Yes, I want to get to that point where I am doing a full consultation with someone, and they want my style on them. Almost like an outfit accessory.

I want to have that knowledge to explain to people what I would recommend. It is pretty hard to stack rings, because there is a balance having multiple rings.

That is the main thing that I want to do; once I figure out more my style-direction. I digressed so much I forgot the question … no, that is the fun of this, and the whole point of the Conversating Series to have fun and to talk! No, I like that!

If I was to work with gemstones ...and I have not done anything for anyone with gemstones. I would use a casting method, when you take the gemstone, you put it in a mold, the metal engulfs it, and sets it. It is pretty cool. I do not do the dainty rings with the fingers that come over the gemstones.

Yes, no ... I like the signet, dome rings. Yes, exactly! It would be heavy on the metal aspect, and then minimalist with the stones (if I was going to do them).

That reminds me of the old Miners cut era diamond … a big chunky ring with the stones in it.

Like engagement rings (and rings like that), the focus is more intentionally on the gemstone. I prefer the rarity of the metal itself, and how that looks. It looks so cool … Yes, I do like gemstones here and there it’s cool, but I do not like gemstones being the focal point. Almost like an add-on. Yes, a very subtle add-on.

I do think the goal should be heritage and longevity, good quality and handmade. Ideally it should last forever. We have gotten into an era that the focus is on everything being fast, disposable. Yet, I do believe that we have reached a ceiling now, and the shift is that people are looking for more of a connection.

I agree … I know that I see it even with interior design. People are more focused on vintage pieces of furniture, and vintage art – it kinda relates to jewelry as well. These items that have that heritage (like you had said) … the pieces have lasted years and years. For some reason I know that my generation loves that.

I do feel that it should be the same for jewelry. Because these pieces are hard to make and take a lot of time to make. People should focus on handmade, and pieces that can last their entire life, whether they want to keep the piece that long or not. Things that are made in a factory (mass produced) … do not hold up.

Yes … my generation gravitates more toward - if I am going to spend my money is it going to last. I don’t want to have to buy something every couple of months. With clothes too… people are more into thrifting and vintage clothes; as well vintage accessories. I definitely know that in terms of marketing this Brand that it is something I intend to look into.

I know that I am head deep into the vintage Levi’s, thanks to my brother. I honestly am crazed for the 1980’s Red Line Levi’s, I am like what was I missing. Oh, Yes! I know.

What are the three staples on clothing that makes you feel your most confident …

Interesting … I really love a baggy pair of pants. I do not like skinny jeans, or anything close to that. I do not want to see my legs in the pants. Yes, very oversized. Yes! Oversized but still fit hips correctly – and then drape over the shoes. I love that.

Shoes are a huge one, they can make or break an outfit. I love neutral and earthy tone colors. I get attracted to those tones. Then … I would say my recent purchase – a statement hoodie. When I put my hoodie on ahhh! Its not just a functional hoodie, more of a fashionable hoodie. That would be my favorite thing to layer and put on top.

My sunglasses, these glasses (I am wearing), and my jewelry complete something for me. And even my belts too. I have so many pieces, its hard.

Okay think of it like this … if there was a fire (God forbid) what are the items that you would grab to feel comforted? My hoodie, and my favorite pair of pants.

That sweatshirt purchase was a lesson for me, but I don’t know if we have time to get into it … No, we do. The sweatshirt is Acne Studios. I saw it in a Secondhand Thrift Store for higher end brands. I was not going to buy a new one because they are so expensive. I was torn if I should just buy it when I saw it in the Thrift Store, but I left it.

It was a hard battle for me because it was still a lot of money. The lesson in that for me was – when I know that I am going to love something, and that I actually want something, I should just get it. Because life it too short. I have definitely said no to a lot of things , that I probably would have loved to have – but it did teach me a little restraint.

I obviously went back because I knew that I wanted that, it was actually the best decision that I made. Because I absolutely love it.

Technically … with Girl Math (not real math) – when you divide the cost by how many times that you wear the sweatshirt it’s literally pennies. Ahahaha ...yes.

Do you do custom pieces? Yes, basically that is all that I do right now. I do my personal style, and I stick to that. So, if someone comes to me and says ‘I want this ring’ and it is something that I don’t do, I won’t make it. If they are open to any design ideas, things that I have made before, I will make it.

I will also come up with some new concept ideas, and see if they like them. Often they really like the new concept ideas, or they will say ‘can it be like this, or like that’. We will design and collaborate together. That is the most fun for me. As long as I am able to create that for them. Making jewelry is hard, it not possible for me to do everything at my skill level.

As well it is awesome to come up with a new idea and then bring it to life. Most important (to me) is to make the customer happy.

What is the most rewarding part of your job … is it relationship building? because it is such an intimate process. Or is it learning your clients? and then like holy crap I actually made this ... You nailed it! Everything that you just said was actually what I was going to say. Meeting all the clients that I meet ... is amazing.

Obviously seeing their reactions to the rings that I have made for them is amazing too. It is such a crazy thing to meet so many people, and you learn so much about people. It is interesting and pretty cool.

Really seeing them so excited about what I made for them … is just an awesome thing to experience.

Last, and most fun question ...what is your favorite way to unwind?

Oh! I have so much to say about this … but I will keep it short. Shower, but a spa like shower. Having an oil diffuser, or shower bomb in the shower. Have you heard about the new red light shower head that is coming out? Oh! Wow no I haven’t … that is crazy.

Using my favorite soaps that I like, as well putting on all of my favorite oils that I like. Everything just smells clean. Then getting into bed, chilling in my living room; or chilling with my girlfriend and watching tv.

Watching a show that we both love. Setup some snacks, like fruit. I love lighting incense. So relaxing and smells so good. The lighting is so important too, I cannot relax with big lights on. I need them to be soft lit lamps.

Now all of that … unwinding process at the end of your day. Starting with rinsing off your day – which starts in the bathroom.

What is your favorite show to watch with your girlfriend … one of my favorite shows is Breaking Bad. Oh, and Ozark. I love those cool action shows – and then I do love Reality TV shows. That is my guilty pleasure. We (my girlfriend and I) watch them all of the time.

Yes … just something to take the edge off.

Thank you so much … thank you!

Follow @masonbleudesigns or send an email to him.

FOR THE FULL INTERVIEW WATCH IT HERE