This session will cover building and leading creative teams, preparing for editorial shoots and fashion presentations, managing creative differences while maintaining a clear vision, and maintaining professional etiquette and communication on collaborative projects.

About Michelle Pajak-Reynolds

Michelle Pajak-Reynolds is an award-winning jewelry artist, metalsmith, and storyteller whose work explores the connection between mythology, nature, memory, and adornment. Through handcrafted collections inspired by folklore, celestial narratives, and the natural world, she creates jewelry that invites collectors into a larger story.

Her fascination with jewelry began in childhood, inspired by the transformative power of adornment and a desire to create objects that feel both beautiful and meaningful. That passion led her to study metalsmithing, earning a BFA in Jewelry and Metals from Kent State University, followed by an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Baldwin Wallace University.

Since founding her jewelry studio in 2001, Michelle has developed a distinctive artistic voice centered on movement, narrative, and meticulous craftsmanship. Known for her signature pin-set gemstone technique, she handcrafts each piece using traditional metalsmithing methods, ethically sourced gemstones, recycled precious metals, and Fairmined gold. Her collections are built through an extensive process of research and world-building, weaving together history, mythology, symbolism, and material exploration into cohesive wearable narratives.

Michelle's work has been featured on international fashion runways, red carpets, and exhibitions around the world, including New York Fashion Week, the Primetime Emmy Awards, and the United Nations Peace Boat. As she celebrates her 25th year as an independent artist and designer, she continues to explore how jewelry can serve as both personal adornment and a vessel for storytelling, connecting people to the stories they carry and the ones they choose to create.