Alia Forte translates loosely from Latin as another strength. That seem."s fitting for both guitar string jewelry and its creatrix, Julie Seagraves.
Julie has designed and created in many forms. "We moved a lot when I was young; art and craft projects kept me busy when I was the new kid. I learned to sew, macrame, tie dye and weave. In college, I began dabbling in fine jewelry, and later, floral design, stained glass, mosaics, and beadwork."
The seed for Alia Forte was planted when Julie's daughter began guitar lessons in high school. Her strings had to be replaced regularly. "Guitar strings are mixed metal and not readily recyclable, but Meredith couldn't bring herself to throw them in the trash. When she went off to college, I found a large bags of used and broken strings in her closet."
At a midwestern art fair, Julie ran across a musician making simple bracelets and earrings from used guitar strings. "My first thought was, 'What a great gift for Meredith!' As I studied the work, I realized I could create more sophisticated designs myself, using techniques I've learn through beadwork and metalsmithing. And I could start with that bag of strings in the closet."
Julie has spent countless hours since then collecting guitar strings, perfecting designs, and launching Alia Forte "At a meeting of entrepreneurs, mostly young men launching tech start-ups, I shared my story. I heard a young guy in the audience whisper to his friend, 'Dude, that's really dope!' and I knew I was on to something."
