Jessica Park

| 25 July 2011

Seattle-based designer Jessica Park got into the biz organically - as chance would have it, she stumbled upon a once-in-a-lifetime creative opportunity that awoke the designer in her.

And so, Ampersand As Apostrophe was born.

Park, 27, started her career as a business major, but sidestepped into interior architecutre as an outlet for that hungry creativity. This formal, structured background laid the groundwork for her role as entrepreneur and artistic visionary. These dualities are almost the essence of Park. Merging two seemingly separate aspects into one.

In the birth of her 100-year-old mail bags turned clutches turned anything you want them to do, she employs this feeling of the paradoxical, of form and function. Although the "wow-factor" comes from the multiplicity and easiness, it can also be attributed to the duality of her rich aesthetic. Part rustic, part design-conscious glossy chic - she takes you on a ride to both ends of the spectrum and brings you back again.

The goal of Amerpsand As Apostrophe, to solve design challenges by refining what’s there instead of focusing on what’s not. As for the designer herself, I don’t think it’s possible to put her purpose into words much better than this line from her own bio:

"Park’s creative minimalism coupled with her timely sense of humor and her space-casey savantiness is most definitely the last piece in a3′s puzzle. Her upside-down, inside-out view of the world makes for some interesting discoveries indeed."

Just as she is encouraged to explore the corners of her world, we invite you to make your own discoveries about the quirky designer and the stunning collections from Ampersand As Apostrophe.

For the full interview, visit thinkcontra.com