Kidcore jewellery had a serious moment last year. One of the most searched terms on Lyst in 2021, kidcore came to symbolise the abundance of resin rings, oversized beaded necklaces and obsession with nostalgia that permeated fashion. We even saw it on the red carpet – with A$AP Rocky’s ERL thrifted quilt feeding into the trend – and it seems the musician is still on the kidcore hype.
Performing at Lollapalooza wearing a beaded chain with a tamagotchi pendant, the internet went wild for the return of the 00s game, with the necklace recalling the lanyards we all used to hang our tamagotchi from, but updated with the inclusion of pearls, smileys and clear beads. But who made it?
Well, meet Monigotchi. The LA-based jewellery designer (who’s real name is Monica) normally sells her pieces on Etsy, until A$AP Rocky saw her in her own design and asked for one for himself. We caught up with Monica to discuss how she got started in jewellery design, her creative inspiration, and what makes a successful piece.
Hey Monica! How did you get started with designing?
Hey! I was trying to find something to call my own for a while and I wanted it to have a lot to do with childhood, but also a lot to do with style. I pride myself in having a good sense of personal style, and wanted to share that while also letting my inner kid be a kid because I didn’t have the greatest childhood.
We love the nostalgia of your pieces – where do you normally find inspiration?
Again circling back to my childhood, I LOVED Tamagotchis when I was a kid. Taking care of a cute little creature on a screen was the best, and in the early 2000’s I didn’t know a kid that didn’t have one. So, I was thinking about it one day and thought, what if I turned the “friendship bracelet” into a chain and hung a tamagotchi from it. BOOM. Instant nostalgia.
Recently, A$AP Rocky wore one of your pieces which was sick to see – talk to us about this project! How did it come about?
I came up with the idea naturally, and the first one I made was actually just for myself. I work at a luxury store on Melrose in LA, so I would wear it to work everyday to see if anyone was interested. One day, Rocky came into the store and saw the chain – he asked my coworker to call me over, and told me he needed one of my chains. I told him that I make them, and that I could get one for him!
Then we exchanged information, I met with his assistant and the next time I saw the chain it was on stage with Flvcko at Lollapalooza. It’s still so crazy to me because I’ve been a Rocky fan since I was a youngin – and not just on a surface level, “Oh I listen to Rocky” way. I had written A$AP on every inanimate object in my room. Let’s just say my TV and dresser were part of the A$AP mob for years!
Do you have a favourite design of yours?
My favourite design has got to be my Lego bracelets. I think they’re such a cool statement piece. They also definitely put you in touch with your inner child, which is obviously a theme here haha.
What makes a successful piece, in your eyes?
A successful piece to me is anything that makes someone feel good. I want people to feel good, to feel themselves…to express themselves. That’s why I offer so much customization.
Do you have any advice for young people looking to get into fashion and jewellery?
Ima tell you like Rocky told me…’just keep going, no matter what keep going’. Also, believe in yourself! It took me a looooong time to want to share my creations with the world because I didn’t think I had anything special. In reality, everyone has something special, you just have to truly believe it!
What’s next for Monigotchi?
Right now I’m working on getting all these orders to my customers! Going forward though, I’m just going to keep creating, keep coming up with things that take care of our inner children because I think that’s what a lot of the world needs right now.
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