A chance encounter gave Rebecca de Ravenel the idea to start her business. Modeling a pair of earrings she had crafted for herself while dining at an LA eatery, a dutiful husband approached her out of the blue to ask about the earrings for his wife. At that moment, a light bulb went off. Soon after, de Ravenel was making a few more pairs of the style to sell, and before she knew it, she was in the jewelry business.

Looking at the extravagant pieces, it’s hardly surprising how her designs have the ability to grab the attention of strangers. Visiting the CFDA Office on Bleecker Street earlier this month, the LA-based designer brought with her an eclectic assortment of jewelry. Bright metallic jewels and oversized heart-shaped embellished earrings that beg to be Kira Kira’d are evidence to the fact that every piece from de Ravenel’s collection is meant to make a statement.

The vibrant designs are inspired by the designer’s passion for interiors and her unique upbringing. Raised between the Bahamas and Paris, she constantly draws upon the “water, color, and silence” that surrounded her while growing up in Nassau.

You’ve almost certainly seen de Ravenel’s signature Les Bonbons earrings on Selena Gomez, Lily Aldridge, or many more of admirers. In fact, the candy-colored earrings, which come in nearly every shade imaginable, are still in such high demand they remain largely sold out on her site.

The idea for the popular style came to her while working as an assistant designer for Oscar de la Renta.  Frustrated that there was no real jewelry that could easily transition from day to night, de Ravenel worked with de la Renta’s team of embroiderers to find an alternative. With the unlikely inspiration in the elegance of the movement of ping pong balls, de Ravenel took matters into her own hands and designed the ultra-light, brightly-colored elegant style, wrapped in a fine silk cording.

Although she is best known for her jewelry, de Ravenel‘s vision now extends into handbags and ready-to-wear. The CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund provides the support necessary to take de Ravenel into the global lifestyle brand she desires.

De Ravenel has already found great guidance in CVFF judge Jeffrey Kalinsky, Vice President & Designer Fashion Director of Nordstrom.

“When Jeffrey came to do a site visit during market,” she recalled, “he told me to focus on the clothes because they have a good trajectory, and to really concentrate on something before we expand to fast. It was nice to have someone come in and have confidence in your clothes and what you were doing.”

The designer currently has her sights on building a team of experts to help realize her creative vision. “I think it makes a village to make things work and to make things run smoothly. Finding people to have by your side and that you can trust is the most important part,” de Ravenel said.

For our full interview with the 2018 CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund Finalist, check out our Question Time Series exclusively on our IGTV Channel.