Winifred Gundeck

Who are you, and what do you do?

My name is Winifred Gundeck. In 2000 I moved to Chicago from Atlanta to pursue a career in graphic design. I worked in the industry for 3 years before launching my own business, Winifred Grace, in 2003. I design, produce, and sell jewelry, which I sell direct or wholesale to other boutiques and retailers around the country – from small single location boutiques to larger companies like Anthropologie. In the Spring of 2014, I opened my first brick and mortar store where we sell Winifred Grace jewelry and a variety of clothing and other accessories.

What forms of media have influenced you the most?

I am most influenced by sculpture and patterns in nature, naturally occurring shapes, ancient architecture (specifically Moroccan), and vintage jewelry (specifically the tiny feminine details of Victorian jewelry and the more bold / masculine / graphic shapes of 60s and 70s).

What hardware/software do you use?

I usually sketch in pencil and paper. Often times I will use paper to cut out shapes and play with form. Back to the basics! Once I have decided on a design I will either use the actual paper sculpture or create a sketch in Illustrator. The jewelry is then shaped and soldered together by hand. Some times we create an original piece and then cast a mold of it for easy and exact replication and production. Recently we created a 3d rendering for a small series of kitchen hardware I designed. The 3D rendering was then sent through a 3D printer and from that we created a mold from which we could reproduce multiples of the drawer pulls and knobs. Super thrilling and mind boggling!

What is your ideal creative setting?

The only real requisite is that I be alone. I tend to dive in to research and get lost. Hours pass unnoticed. It is bliss. I have a husband and an almost 4 year old boy, so it’s not always practical when I get in the “zone”. But it sure is fun!