Fashion People – “Love Wins”
Host: Lauren Sherman (Puck)
Guest: Pamela Love (Jewelry Designer, Author of Infinite: A Tarot Deck and Guidebook)
Release Date: October 17, 2025
Episode Overview
In this engaging episode, Lauren Sherman sits down with acclaimed jewelry designer Pamela Love to discuss her career journey, the evolution of the indie jewelry scene, the challenges of running a namesake brand, and her foray into the world of tarot with her new deck and guidebook, Infinite. The conversation weaves together themes of personal identity, creative growth, and the spiritual side of fashion, culminating in a live, on-air tarot reading.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
Pamela Love’s Origins in Jewelry
[08:10–11:22]
- Pamela started her jewelry line in her apartment in the late 2000s, formalizing the business after a few years (“I think maybe 2009, we moved into an office space. But yeah, we were active from 2008, which is crazy.” – Pamela Love, 08:13).
- Her background includes working at Barneys as women’s trunk show coordinator, which helped her understand the inner workings of the high-end jewelry market.
- Mentored in the Diamond District, learning technical aspects before developing her distinctive brand.
Navigating the Fashion & Jewelry World
[11:22–16:43]
- The crucial experience at Barneys gave her insider knowledge, although the store initially rejected her early work.
- Pamela’s pieces became iconic of late 2000s “downtown” fashion, alongside designers like Fenton/Fallon and Eddie Borgo—a time she describes as both competitive and creatively exciting.
- She reflects on not fully appreciating her meteoric rise while it was happening:
“You’re so in it when you’re in it. … I wish, going back, I could have appreciated it more … but I was just so in the work.”
— Pamela Love [17:05]
The Trials of a Namesake Brand
[18:43–23:02]
- Discusses the personal challenges of having her name on the brand, making business struggles feel existential:
“Having a namesake brand is really hard because it becomes your sense of self, it becomes your self-worth.”
— Pamela Love [18:43] - Burnout led her to sell a majority stake in her company:
“I can’t do this. I can’t be the Creative Director and the CEO and the CFO … I’m a maker, I’m not a business person.”
— Pamela Love [21:03] - Post-sale, she learned to separate her identity from the company while maintaining control over its creative direction.
Brand Evolution & Creative Collaborations
[23:02–29:00]
- Lauren notes Pamela’s strategic use of unexpected collaborations to keep her brand thriving (e.g., Rent the Runway, clothing design).
- Pamela emphasizes selecting projects that “reflect what me and my team are interested in … evolving, but always with a through line.” [26:09]
- Describes challenges when private equity partners pushed for safe, commercial products (“If I have to hear about hoop earrings from brands that sell things for $49.99, I never want to hear about that again.” — Pamela Love, 28:32).
- Recently “uncoupled” from those partners, allowing her creativity and the brand’s artistry to flourish again.
Connecting with Clients & Building Real Relationships
[30:06–33:23]
- The brand’s growth has focused on fine jewelry and engagement rings—a highly personal, client-driven business. Pamela has learned to embrace customer interaction, overcoming initial imposter syndrome:
“I always felt a little … I came from the punk scene growing up … I think it took me a really long time to be comfortable with who I was and comfortable sitting in a room with people who were different than me…”
— Pamela Love [31:41] - Lauren notes how Pamela’s brand remains authentic:
“I can close my eyes and see it—and also, you are still the same person.”
— Lauren Sherman [33:35]
Launching a Tarot Deck & Guidebook
[34:05–39:06]
- Pamela introduces Infinite, her tarot deck created in collaboration with longtime design partner Chris Manesky.
- Their creative synergy emerged during a Zac Posen show (“We were so connected as people … we both came from the music scene, like punk music scene in our small towns.” — Pamela Love, 35:12).
- The deck took five years to complete, grounded in both her personal passions and longstanding brand aesthetics.
Tarot as Introspection & Therapy
[39:06–45:14]
- Pamela’s relationship with tarot began at age 14, serving both as a tool for self-reflection and a way to connect with others:
“It’s more therapy than it is fortune-telling, at least for me … I wanted to create something people could use as a tool for introspection.” — Pamela Love [40:44]
- She underscores that tarot’s real power is in guiding attention:
“Ultimately, yes, you do know the answer, and the cards are just helping you highlight what it is you need to focus on or change.”
— Pamela Love [45:14] - Lauren observes, “It’s like a consultant … helps you frame things in a way that is easier to manage…” [44:13]
Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments
-
On running a namesake brand:
“The brand’s success was so important to my sense of self-worth, and so I think that pressure also made it kind of intense.”
— Pamela Love [18:43] -
On learning to separate from the business:
“I was able to start to separate myself from the business in a way where … things are gonna happen in my life and things are gonna happen in its life, and they don’t … mean the same thing.”
— Pamela Love [21:03] -
On tarot’s function:
“You really do pull the cards you’re meant to pull. They’re teachers. Pulling for yourself is the most powerful.”
— Pamela Love [40:44] -
Lauren on fashion advice:
“You think it’s gonna be, like, one day and then you’re back to normal, but it’s not. …It’s never going back.”
— Lauren Sherman [25:21]
(On postpartum body image)
Timestamped Highlights
| Timestamp | Segment | Key Topic | |------------|---------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------| | 05:15 | Pamela’s non-traditional entry | Early jewelry design, Barney’s, DIY approach | | 13:00 | Journey after Barneys rejection | Moving to art, finding early accounts like Colette, Opening Ceremony | | 15:55 | Navigating the indie/jewelry scene | Downtown designers, CFDA/Vogue competitions, being “crunchy hippie punk” | | 18:43 | The emotional toll of a namesake brand| Identity challenges, burnout, business sale | | 23:02 | Surviving industry change | Collaborations, creative adaptation in a tough retail climate | | 28:31 | Breaking up with PE investors | Rediscovering creative freedom | | 31:41 | Embracing the client relationship | Imposter syndrome, punk roots, making fine jewelry personal | | 35:12 | Creative synergy with Chris Manesky | Long working relationship and the tarot deck’s genesis | | 40:44 | Tarot and emotional self-care | Using tarot as therapy, not fortune-telling | | 46:20 | On-air tarot card reading | Pamela draws the “Eight of Pentacles” for Lauren |
Show’s Tone & Dynamic
Lauren and Pamela keep the conversation witty, knowledgeable, and refreshingly candid—sharing industry truths, personal hardships, and laugh-out-loud stories (like mistaken text identities and LA mom life). The dialogue is unpretentious and rooted in a sense of community and mutual respect.
Live Tarot Reading (51:00–50:52)
- Pamela reads for Lauren, pulling the Eight of Pentacles (career growth, mastering new skills, staying open).
- Parallels arise between a previous reading and Lauren’s current career momentum, underscoring tarot’s role as reflective guidance.
“You are about to learn new things, and you need to take them with an open heart and open mind. … Be open to learning and putting in the work to master this. And if you do, you will flourish …”
— Pamela Love [48:11]
Final Thoughts
- Pamela’s journey offers a rare, behind-the-scenes look at surviving—and evolving—in both fashion and personal growth.
- Her embrace of introspection, creativity, and authenticity is evident both in her jewelry and her tarot work.
- Lauren’s enthusiasm, familiarity, and shared experiences make for a lively, insider-focused conversation with broad resonance.
For more on Pamela Love’s work:
Check out Infinite: A Tarot Deck and Guidebook – and, as Pamela reminds, “be open,” whether in creativity, business, or self-discovery.