25 Most Stylish Bostonians of 2008 -- Keyse Angelo

Keyse Angelo

Age: 28

Occupation: Jewelry designer/owner of Flauxy

Residence: Jamaica Plain

How do you think coming from Brazil affected your sense of style? I was used to having all of my clothes homemade in Brazil. My aunts and my grandmother were seamstresses, and they made clothes for boutiques and they had private clients. I would see them beading huge ball gowns, or they'd be making bikinis.

Who inspires your style? I have extremes in everything, from furniture to music and art to clothes. I like very modern clean looks. I also loved rock stars growing up, like Siouxsie of the Banshees. I love people who go to a different beat and dress to make themselves happy, like Tilda Swinton. But I think I'm mostly inspired by my friends. They have a great sense of style.

How did you start designing jewelry? I got into it right around the time I moved to America when I was 6 years old. My dad was a maintenance man for an apartment building on Commonwealth Avenue. My mom cleaned houses, and they were always bringing things home. I wore the strangest things as a kid - patent leather shoes with Chanel cardigans. It was so weird. One lady gave my dad a huge box of jewelry to give me, and I wanted to take it all apart. I had no idea how valuable it was. I started cutting strings, rewiring, and making my own stuff to go with my crazy clothes.

How do you describe the jewelry that you're making now? It's organic. It's not bound by seasons or colors. I'll pair glass with wood or shells, or semi-precious stones with plastic. They're pieces that can really stand out, or complement an outfit.

Do you find Boston to be a stylish city? I work downtown so I see the business people, but I also see tons of students and I think it's really funny because I'll see people experimenting with style. One day I'll see a person dressed in goth, the next week she looks like business girl going on an interview. There are so many boutiques now, thrift shops, high-end stores. It's really becoming much more of a city you can shop in. You don't need to run away to New York.