Lizzie Fortunato launched her career in public relations, joining Paul Wilmot Communications in 2006 following her university graduation. Initially, she promoted accessory labels, but after ten months, she decided to stop advertising others’ creations and focus on her own designs. “I have always adored crafting jewelry and making presents for pals during my college years. Once I relocated to New York, numerous acquaintances started requesting custom pieces, which made me realize it was time to take a chance and establish my own label!” the creator remembers her initial journey.
Notably, Lizzie not only crafts her own jewelry but also showcases emerging talents globally. Through the Fortune Finds initiative, she features pieces by artisans, sewers, leatherworkers, sculptors, and potters discovered at flea markets and private studios across Mexico, Morocco, Japan, and Colombia. “It all began with a personal haul of treasures: I am an avid scavenger and visually driven, unable to resist such acquisitions. However, space eventually ran out, transforming the stash into a ‘lost and found’ hub for aesthetes like myself.”
Lizzie Fortunato’s personal creations are a salvation for individuals weary of street-style tropes that encourage copying identical iconic looks. Her ethnic experiments involving wood, bone, glass, and gemstones propel boho-chic jewelry and leather goods onto the covers of international fashion magazines. Her designs restore authenticity to the notions of “fashion” and “style,” which have largely degenerated into hollow PR slogans. “What matters most in fashion? Be true to yourself!” Lizzie Fortunato firmly believes.
