After a successful hairstyling career, self-described “aesthetic visionary” Everett Johnson began designing liza B. jewelry and leather handbags. Surrounded by paintings at his CWE studio, Johnson shared his thoughts on art, fashion, and jewelry.
How did your creative journey begin?
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In high school, I discovered that I enjoyed fashion. I figured after graduation I would wait a year to do my research before applying to fashion-design school. Out of boredom, I went to cosmetology school, where I started to build a client base—it wasn’t fashion, but in the same realm. My parents helped me open my salon. From 1998 until about six years ago, I operated hair salons all over the city. Around 2007, I realized I was a full-fledged visionary, artistically, but I was so busy working 12- or 15-hour days that I wasn’t executing anything—yet.
Were you thinking fashion at that point?
Fashion. Painting. All of these are mine [gesturing around the studio]. I had a period where I was able to pause and get to all of these backlogged visions in my head. It started with jewelry. I found that time therapeutic, like prayer. So even though I was looking forward to being myself with my jewelry creations, I looked more forward to the meditation. In that meditation, I allowed myself to be creatively instructed to do whatever came to mind. It sounds far out there, I know, but it’s so true.
How would you describe yourself?
An aesthetic visionary. Because even what you see in this room, it doesn’t stop here. I really wish I could get to a point where I could just create all the time, without limits or life’s worries.
What’s your inspiration?
Several years back, I got wind of the Alexander McQueen exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It blew my mind! I thought, “This is where I belong.”
How did you start making jewelry?
I started with just beads. Then I started to incorporate more preferred materials. I love onyx—and I love, love, love pearls. My intention is to make them statement pieces: very edgy, very artistic, very bold—where a hip grandmother would own them and her granddaughter would covet them.
And what about handbags?
I started incorporating leather into my pearls. Then I started getting into leather, and that naturally went into the handbags. At the moment, I am paused at handbags, wanting to get back to jewelry, but the handbags have taken off, so they kind of have me by the ankles. [Laughs.]
Who is the liza B. woman?
Growing up, I was very influenced by my two grandmothers. One, Willie B., was ultra-feminine, dainty, and ladylike; she wore pink nail polish every day. The other, Annie Liza, was strong, outspoken, firm. They represented the dualities of the best parts of women, the strong and soft, the tough and beautiful. My vision of the liza B. woman is those things incarnate.
How do you describe your personal aesthetic?
I usually wear a lot of black as a palette, so I am just blank, like a canvas. I want to erase myself from being loud or calling attention to myself. I want to connect and be attracted to people who connect with my good spirit.
Tell me about your earrings.
These are some sort of African wood. I wanted discreet but bold art on my person that I could wear every day, and I found these earrings for $5 at Macro Sun. I don’t know what they mean or where they come from, but I just love the shape. For the moment, this is what I’ve been wearing. But you could easily find me dressed as I am today with an amazing pearl necklace on. And that’s kind of part of what my feed is. I want to teach people to just open up and be willing to explore boundaries of fashion and self-decorating. I would love to see men in pearls. Why not? It should not take that much thought to just grab what you like. I tell women all the time, “When you think too hard and do too much, you start to distort yourself and not beautify.” Less is so much more.
