We recently connected with Quentin Mccullough and have shared our conversation below.
Quentin, appreciate you joining us today. Did you always know you wanted to pursue a creative or artistic career? When did you first know?
I realized that I wanted to pursue an artistic path toward the end of high school. I would look around and see beautiful things every day. I wanted to be able to capture these moments so I decided to take a photography class. My teacher asked to add one of my photos to the county art show. This class planted a seed of creativity that I never expected. When I saw my photo with all these other amazing works it felt beyond gratifying and I needed to feel that feeling. I Started doing photography for my schools yearbook doing portrait headshots for teachers and senior superlative photoshoots. That same year I got a job as a portrait photographer at JCPenney portraits enhancing my eye for composition and posing. I got accepted into Savannah College of Art and Design in 2022 with no idea what art field was right for me but I knew I was meant to make art. Growing up I developed a love of buying and collecting jewelry. Once I got to SCAD I asked myself “why I keep buying jewelry if I could learn to make it?” I then chose to major in jewelry design.
Quentin, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Quentin McCullough. I’m a junior at Savannah College of Art and Design, majoring in jewelry design and minoring in fashion design. I started Quelo Jewelry because I’ve always been fascinated by the idea of wearing art, and jewelry is the perfect canvas for self-expression. The natural beauty of nature inspires many of my designs. I enjoy learning new ways to translate natural textures into my work. I strongly believe something can be learned from every experience. My designs span a wide range from minimalist, everyday pieces to bold, statement jewelry, each piece has a story behind it. my work is about more than just aesthetics. My goal is to ensure that each piece feels special and unique.
Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
I absolutely love researching different brands and designing pieces that align with their unique brand identity. There’s something exciting about diving deep into a brand’s history, aesthetics, and values, and then creating designs that seamlessly fit within that narrative while bringing my own creative touch. My goal is to work as a designer for a brand’s runway fashion department. Runway shows are where fashion and art collide in the most dramatic way, and I’m passionate about being part of that process. The thought of seeing models showcasing my jewelry as part of a larger, cohesive collection on the runway would be beyond a dream come true it would be a truly surreal and rewarding moment. I’ve worked on personal projects designing for companies such as Gucci, Prada, Hermes, Bvlgari, and more.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
I wish I had known about Vouge or WGSN sooner. They are such amazing resources to keep up with the latest trends in every aspect of fashion. Early on, I didn’t fully grasp how much influence fashion magazines like Vogue have in shaping not only mainstream fashion but also in setting the tone for emerging designers across all disciplines, including jewelry. This also goes for Magazines. I purchased my first fashion magazine this year now I buy the newest one every time I go to the store. Thanks to Vogue and other editorial magazines, I’m driven to remain inventive and adaptable, staying current with the shifts and trends in the fashion industry.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.behance.net/quentinmccullo2
- Instagram: @Quelo_jewelry
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quentinmcc
Image Credits
Headshot photo taken by Dalton Rice
https://www.instagram.com/daltonriceart?utm_source=ig_web_button_share_sheet&igsh=ZDNlZDc0MzIxNw==
https://www.daltonricephotography.com/?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAaZ4uyQ_qz0F7HpNWpXneE9YGfGpOk6SOZWoGsBsFIevPJcvYR4c4O-njNk_aem_VlsxZ24TO9DTtpZ59uaRcA