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8FASHIONSeptember2011ALittleRoughAroundtheEdgesbyWefoundedtheDirtyThirdalmostexactlyayearagowhilemypartnerYvetteandIwereworkingatBarneysCo-Op.Wewerefedupwithworkinginretailandbeingtoobrokeforallthewonderfuljewelrytauntingusinthedisplaycases.Soonedaywestartedhatchingaplan.Overthecourseofaweekwehadabunchofjewelrymadeandabusinesssetup.Wegetthisquestionalot.InshortitsprettymuchstreetslangforHouston.IfanyoneisafanofBigMoeRIPtheyllrecognizeitfromhissong.ClassyrightWerethethirdcoastandthedirtysouth.Itwasourwayofpayinghomagetothecityweloveandgrewupin.JustmakesureyoudontgetusconfusedwiththerapgroupTheDirtyThird.Dependingonthepersonwedesignwhatsomewouldsayarestatementpiecesandothersmightincorporateintheireverydaywear.Wetrytomakealittleofsomethingforeveryonefromsupersimpletovisuallycomplicated.Allofwhichspeaksthesamevisuallanguagethroughmaterialandfinishes.Welikevariety.Iliketocallitcreativelyschizophrenic.Weredefinitelydrawntodarkerthings.SomeoneoncedescribeditasearthybutedgywhichIthinkisappropriate.Weneverchooseanythingtoopolishedorrefined.Itspreferablethatitlookslikeitwasjustexcavatedfromtheearth.Itsnicetohavetwoheadsandtwolocalesbecauseourinspirationsaresodifferentandyieldinterestingresults.IlivehereinHoustonandYvettelivesinBrooklynsowhileImstaringatdaisydukesandtanktopssheswatchingaseaofdesignerknock-offswalkaround.WeshareourSouthernandEastCoastbrainwaveswitheachother.Bothcitiesrequirewardrobesthataresomewhateasytodealwithsothatkindofeverydaylifeattitudedrivestheline.Nothingtoodifficulttowearorputtogetherwiththings.Whetheryourebohooratotallycity-sleektypewewanttheDirtyThirdtobesomethingyoucanthrowonandfeelgoodabout.Impersonallyinspiredbygraphicandindustrialdesignbecausethatsmydayjob.Italloverlapsatsomepoint.Alotoftheworkismaterialdrivenforme.Illsitdownstareatmytubsofjewelrypiecestakeaswigofsangriaandletittalktome.SometimesIllsketchthingsoutandthentrytoassemblewhatIdrewbutquicklyrealizethatsomethingwontworkbecauseofgravityortheconnectionsandthenIllhavetochangeit.Itsevolutionary.RarelydoIcomeupwithanideabeforehandanditcomesoutexactlythewayIenvisioned.Ipreferitthatwaythough.ThesurprisesarealwaysbetterthanwhatIcomeupwithinmyhead.Yes.WestartedD3withintentionsofonlymakingoneofakindpiecesmainlybecausewewereusingharder-to-findmaterialvintageorotherwise.Butnowthatweretalkingtoboutiqueswerealizethatsomestylesaregoingtoneedtocomeinmultiplestomeettheirneeds.Wedefinitelystilltakerequestsforindividualuniquepiecesthough.HollaTypicallyweenjoythingsthatlookalittleagedandrougharoundtheedgesmixedwithsomemorerefinedthings.Brassgunmetalandagedgoldchainsaregenerallyusedwithstoneslikerawblackorgreentourmalinesmallquartzcrystalsmeteoriteandrawpyrite.Therearelotsofreallygreatgeometricbrasspendantsandgraphicmetalelementsincorporated.Wemixnewthingsineverycollectionbutthefoundationisfairlysimilartokeepcohesion.Imprettyobsessedwiththebrasspendantsandbarswevebeenusing.Theideaofcreatingsomethinggraphicwhetherpatternsorshapesonthebodyasopposedtojustsomethinghangingonyourneckorwristisreallyexcitingforme.TobequitehonestImmostlythinkingaboutmyself.Itshardtobeadesignerandnotthinkaboutyourselfandwhatyoulikeorwant.Thefunnythingisindesignschooltheyteachyouveryintentlynottodesignforyourself.YourworkasanindustrialdesignerissolelytocreateforotherpeoplebutwithjewelryIfindthatifyouyourselflovewhatyouremakingitsmucheasiertosellittoothers.InyourfacedesignschoolIusedtothinkitwasgirlslikeme.Womenintheir20-30sfashionsavvybudgetconsciousandlongingforsomeedgeorinterestingthingstoaddtotheirwardrobe.AfterweparticipatedinDesignFairatLawndaleArtCenterthisyearIquicklyrealizedthatD3issomethingthatspeakstoallkindsofwomen.Iwassobeyondelatedwhenthesechicsassy50yearoldwomenwouldcometomeandtellmehowmuchtheyloveourworkandnotonlytellusbutbuytonsofit.Itwassoamazing.Iwillneverforgetit.NowIsaytheDirtyThirdcustomerisforanyonemenincludedwhoenjoysunusualjewelrythatwilladdaslightedgeorinteresttowhattheyalreadyhave.Myfirstpiecewasablackrubberdippedropeknotunintentionallyreminiscentofapretzel.Itsalotcuterthanitsounds.IlearnedtotiesomereallyintricateknotswithropeandIwasexperimentingwithunconventionalprocessestomakejewelrysoIwasdippingeverythinginblackrubber.Itwasamessyprocessbutsomuchfun.IdidntrealizeanyonewouldlikeitoreventakenoticeuntilIworeit.Itwasaverygoodfeeling.Istillhavethatpiece.Ithangsproudlywithallmyotherpersonaljewelry.Mylittletrophyofvalidation.Thisisahardquestionbecauseitchangeswitheverycollection.TheresalwaysoneortwothatImobsessedwithbutthenitllchangeaswemakenewthings.Myfavoriteshavetobetheonesthatacustomertellsmetheycannotstopwearing.Thatisalwaysagreatfeeling.Worlddomination.Haha.Justkiddingkindof.WerehonestlyjustworkingatgettingtheDirtyThirdintowell-curatedstoreseverywhere.Wealsohavealotofcollaborationswedlovetoseecometrueandcollaborationswevegotgoingnowthatareawesome.Itsamazinghowmanytalentedpeopleareherebutnobodyseesit.IhopeD3isabletoencouragepeoplewherevertheyarebutmostlyinHoustontodowhattheyalwayswantedtodo.Locationshouldneverkeepyoufromsucceeding.CurrentlywearepreparingourselvesforafewboutiquesinHoustonAustinandBrooklyn.Rightnowyoucaninvariablyfindusonline.FormoreinformationaboutDirtyThirdvisitthedirtythird.usBangScrewRarelydoIcomeupwithanideabeforehandanditcomesoutexactlythewayIenvisioned.DirtyThirdWhenwasDirtyThirdfoundedIsthereameaningbehindthenameDirtyThirdWhattypeofjewelrydoyoudesignHowwouldyoudescribeyourstyleandwhatinspiresitWalkusthroughtheprocessyougothroughtocreateyourjewelry.DoyoudocustomworkWhatarethetypicalmaterialorstonesthatyouuseWhenyouarecreatingoneofyourpiecesdoyouhaveacertainpersoninmindWhoareyourcustomersWhatwasyourfirstpiecethatyoudesignedWhereisittodayOfallthepiecesthatyoucreatedwhichoneisyourfavoriteandwhyWhatisinthefutureforTheDirtyThirdWherecanonefindTheDirtyThirdJewelryJewelrydesignerMyanDuongWhenMyanDuongandherfriendYvetteworkedatBarneystheygotrightdowndepressedthattheycouldnotaffordthebeautifuldesignerjewelrythatwasinthedisplaycases.Itseemedlogicalthattheonlythingtodowastoformacompanytodesigntheirownpieces.YvettelivesinBrooklynandMyanlivesinHouston.Theybelievethatthegeographicalinfluencesbetweenthetworegionsgivesrisetoacreativedynamicthatisreflectedintheircreations.WeinterviewedMyanaboutherinspirationsandaspirations.VIETHOANG