Torch Song Metals is the place to find a necklace festooned with yellow enameled roses - or with a sleek little switchblade.

by Mary Shustack

staff

One step inside the Nyack shop, and you know Emily Postula and Ashley Harris are not production-line, please-the-masses jewelry designers.

Look no further than the little arrows jutting out from a pendant, the undulating edges of a pair of earrings - or a hefty anchor charm that resembles a vintage tattoo.

Some might be tempted to dismiss the creations as biker-chick wear.

They'd be wrong. Take, for example, the enameled swallow, in red and blue, that glides along a necklace that Postula is showing off.

"This series is based on classic tattoo imagery, but like the roses, it can cross over," she says.

The bird could indeed be bold or delicate, depending on the wearer. And that's part of Torch Song's plan - to reach a diverse audience while not compromising style.

"When we look at the industry and the commercial world, you see the same designs from a million houses," Postula says. "So it's nice to have something that is different."

But not too different.

"I love the switchblade, but it's not universal," Postula says.

So for every geisha-themed necklace and ax pendant on display, there are sleek silver stacking rings and rectangular earrings dotted with tiny pearls.

"We want to be able to appeal to everybody," Postula says.

Postula and Harris, who met as jewelry-design students at SUNY New Paltz, have been working on that balance since opening in late May.

"We really wish people would stop and look a little bit more," Harris says. "We have a sense of humor, but we try to appeal to more."

Having their own shop comes after various internships and paying jobs with designers and in jewelry shops.

"It was tiresome doing other people's stuff," Postula says. "We wanted to get back to the creativity."

And in Torch Song Metals, they've done just that.

The shop is also their studio, which means on any given day, you might be able to peek in as these jewelry artisans hammer, torch and enamel their work.

They create their jewelry at a bench just steps away from the cases where it will be displayed. Most of the designs are limited productions, which means anywhere from 20 to 50 pieces might be made before moving on to a new design. Prices are generally from $80 to $250.

"It's not just about selling things to everybody, but it's also a philosophy," Postula says. "I choose not to make things that are so outrageous that only a few people can own."

Their enamel work uses the champleve technique of inlaid enamel, a time-consuming effort, "which you don't see in production jewelry," Harris adds.

Taking such care, offering a welcoming approach, also reflects the designers' personalities, a funky mix of old-school elegance with modern flair.

Postula, 26, is a study in retro glamour, from the oversized flowers in her slicked-back hair to a cherry-red pencil skirt and the armful of tattoos that completes the look.

"People would ask why are we dressed like the end credits of 'Grease,' " Postula says. "Now, it's like, 'Hey, we're fashion-forward.' "

Postula, who grew up in Westchester and Rockland, says she "went away to school and just found my way back."

Harris, a 25-year-old from Albany, is all asymmetrical blond hair setting off an electric-blue top and sleek black skirt.

After graduating - Postula in 2005 and Harris the following year - the friends kept in touch. When Postula's parents bought the Nyack building that houses the shop (and their apartments), they decided to make a go of it.

"I think we were surprised on our first day we made sales," Harris says. "We thought it would be weeks."

Though the shop is open six days a week, it's busiest on Saturdays and Sundays.

"We sit at our benches and make things, then on the weekends we present our stuff," Postula says.

Part of that presentation is the shop itself, set within a century-old house complete with hardwood floors, a vintage chair covered in gold velvet and a marble-topped mantel.

"We wanted to keep everything in the spirit of the house," Postula says.

They also use their space to showcase other jewelry artists.

"We wanted to have other people's stuff in the store because we wanted to have a great variety," Postula says.

"It's nice to feature local artists," Harris adds, noting work by Naomi Moores of Nyack and Kit Burke-Smith of Cold Spring.

Allison Hourcade, a fellow Nyack-based designer, is both a friend and a colleague, since the shop also carries her RockLove designs ($50 to $350 here).

Hourcade's pieces, which are also sold online and in shops around the world, range from chunky pendants with images of bumblebees or stars to the more delicate pieces she describes as "Victorian glam."

Hourcade, who's been working on her own line for a few years, says that Harris and Postula offer something enduring.

"I think most of the pieces really transcend what is 'in style,' " she says.

Ax necklaces have become a favorite of firefighters. The various interpretations of anchors have gone to Marines (and their wives or girlfriends), while one of Harris' designs, a simple laurel-wreath necklace, has new popularity thanks to the Olympics.

And if you don't see something you like, ask - and they can likely create it, Postula says.

"We love that, making something that's going to be pretty special to somebody."

Reach Mary Shustack at mshustac@lohud.com or 914-694-5040.

More info ...

- Torch Song Metals is at 167 Main St. in Nyack. It's open from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays, from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays. Call 845-348-7081.

- The shop will have extended hours, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. tomorrow, in conjunction with SeptemberFest. The Nyack street fair will be held rain or shine, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. with vendors filling Main Street and Broadway. For more details, visit the Chamber of Commerce of the Nyacks at www.nyack-ny.com or call 845-353-2221.

-Allison Hourcade of RockLove jewelry will also be exhibiting her work at the street fair; look for her booth in front of the Shops of 92 Main St., or visit www.rocklove.com for more details.