This week's Tastemaker is Gresham Meek, Founder of Gresham Jewelry! 

Gresham wears the Adria Gown in Vintage Coral

Hi y’all! I’m Gresham Meek, founder of Gresham, a jewelry and lifestyle brand based in Dallas (@greshamjewelry). I’ve been creating jewelry ever since I can remember and have spent my entire life studying and slinging jewels. As much as I love my job, it’s my family that fills me to my core – my husband Stephen and kiddos Kaki & Hodges and I can’t forget our three pups, Missy, Sippi & Galley.

I’ve always had an attraction to the past – whether it’s scavenging a flea market for vintage finds or studying ancient art history, I love looking back to find inspo for the future. I incorporate this into every corner of my life – my home, my wardrobe, and especially my jewelry designs.

Honestly I’ve been designing and making jewelry since I was in grade school. I like to say I made friendship bracelets like every other little girl, I just never stopped. My infatuation with gemstones, goldsmithing and design has continually expanded over the years and it was a dream come true to begin my career as a jewelry designer upon college graduation.

A snapshot from Instagram, follow along at @greshamjewelry

I really appreciate the freedom to design, create and explore whatever it is that I want to. My business and brand is a direct extension of me and I love that. The most challenging part is time management – juggling work and family is never easy and it’s always an ongoing work in progress. The most rewarding aspect is watching customers wear our products and engage with our brand – when I see and hear positive feedback about what we are doing I feel a sense of accomplishment and fulfillment knowing that we are doing something right and creating products people love.

I spent Christmas in Florence and Tuscany with my family and everywhere we went I found major inspiration! I’ve always been drawn to the Italian Renaissance and actually wrote my senior thesis on jewelry & goldsmithing from that period, so while there recently I spent a lot of time studying the art and architecture and meeting with craftsmen. You can definitely expect to see some direct Italiano inspo in upcoming designs!

As women we are often a bit insecure and fearful of the unknown – I sure am – and it’s because of certain women in my life that I’ve been able to overcome those worries (mostly). I aim to pay it forward with my daughter and as many other young women as I can. I want my daughter Kaki to know she can and should reach for the stars and never fear falling.

Patience. Amidst the pandemic we, like everyone else, learned that there’s only so much we can control. We can set deadlines, agree to terms and be fully prepared on our end, but things happen beyond our control and it’s frustrating. However, as the saying goes ‘good things come to those who wait’, I’ve learned that there’s always a silver lining somewhere to be found and we have only to be patient.

I had the hardest time deciding which piece to wear for this shoot because I loved so many of the dresses! I love the classic silhouettes, the substantial fabrics and the fabulous fit!

With my Gresham jewels of course!

What is your best advice for someone who wants to follow in your footsteps?Be yourself and never give up! There will be ups and downs, always focus on the ups and constantly take the time to reflect on how far you’ve come!