"I want everyone to own something with a peace sign on it," declares clothing and jewelry designer Julia Gerard. "You could say that's my mantra."
The daughter of a Nazi concentration camp survivor, Gerard emigrated from Russia to Los Angeles with her father when she was ten. "I didn't know what peace was until I came here," she says. Surrounded by racks laden with her rock-chic designs, Gerard explains that September 11th was a defining moment. That night she was inspired to make two massive twig wreaths in the shape of peace signs. They now hang in the window of her West Hollywood Peace Gallery store.
Since that fateful night, Gerard, who had been working as a clothing designer for over two decades, started to incorporate the sign into the outfits she wore. Demand from customers then prompted her to open a gallery devoted to her peace-promoting designs. Fans include Tina Turner, Elizabeth Taylor, Heather Mills, Natalie Cole and Gloria Estefan. Gerard's designs range from high-end couture and customized distressed jeans made from recycled denim, to affordable designer T's and glamorous diamante earrings, all featuring her signature motifs. As Gerard's website states, "True peace comes from the inside...so show it on the outside."
Photo: Peace pin © Julia Gerard
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