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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
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Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
Andrea Korein didn’t plan on living in St. Louis after college, and she certainly never envisioned becoming a jewelry designer.
Originally from New York City, Korein attended Washington University, but she always planned to move back east, apply to law school, and start a career.
And for more than six years, life unfolded as expected. Korein was practicing law and living in Manhattan with her husband, Michael, who’s from Belleville, Illinois. But with time, Michael began to yearn for home. “We loved the city, but I was pregnant with my first child and the thought of raising a family in New York was daunting,” she says.
The couple decided to move back to St. Louis, and Korein worked as a lawyer while raising their three children. But when juggling work and family life grew too challenging, she decided to quit the firm to stay home full time. Though the decision ended her law career, it would spark a new passion.
Photo by Kevin A. Roberts
A few years later, at a party, a friend’s necklace caught Korein’s attention. Intrigued, she called the L.A. designer to inquire about buying a similar piece. The two hit it off so well, Korein bought the necklace and was offered a job selling the line in the Midwest—a partnership that lasted 13 years. By 2015, however, the line no longer seemed to resonate with her Midwestern clientele, and Korein decided to venture out on her own. A year later, she launched Makhala Designs, a collection that she describes as “fashion jewelry but with real stones and metals.”
“My mom was an antiques dealer, and I was always thrifting with her,” continues Korein. “Even though that was long ago, it definitely impacts how I design today.”
On the morning of our meeting, Korein is wearing a necklace with a diamond-encrusted Buddha and silver dog tag. Paired with the chunky gold chain, it has a modern look.
Korein’s designs, she says, are made to be worn at the grocery store or at a black-tie gala: “Some people think pearls are not for everyday, but not me—I put them on with jeans and boots and walk out the door.”
Korein’s venture has taken her back to New York, where she works with manufacturers to create one-of-a-kind pieces. The designs are made in St. Louis, and the materials are sourced from India and New York. The exception is the braided hide featured in some of the necklaces, which comes from a dealer in Utah. Once the materials have been shipped to Korein’s Chesterfield studio, she assembles the pieces by hand. The line is available locally at Vie, Lusso, and Ylang Ylang.
Today, the designer says, she has no regrets about leaving New York or that career in law: “I tell everyone, ‘You have to move to St. Louis! There’s something here for everyone.’”
