Growing up on the border of the U.S and Mexico, jewelry designer Sara Beltrán, 48, comes to the table with a unique understanding of the gift of mixing cultures. “Own who you are, that’s the best advice,” Beltrán said, speaking to her unique Mexican American, global-minded perspective. It’s the unique, lived-in experience she brings to her Dezso by Sara Beltrán jewelry line she launched 2006.
Born in El Paso, Texas, Beltrán spent a lot of time across the border in Juárez, Mexico, flowing between the two cultures seamlessly. “I grew up in Juárez, but I went to high school in El Paso,” she explained. “It’s all one thing in my brain.” She speaks three languages, and today she splits her time between Texas, New York, Miami and India, having previously lived in Paris and Rome — all which have shaped her world view and creative voice.
Growing up, her Mexican family taught her about work ethic. “We were very hardworking people,“ she said, adding “I had a really good example in my parents. We never give up.” A key point, very important to her, instilling “the power of discipline and independence.” It’s “engraved in my in my head,” she said with a laugh.
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Over the course of her career, she has had the opportunity to mentor other Latine talent and she encourages them to have a clear objective and strong DNA that is true to themselves and where they come from. “There are so many brands out there,“ she said and that focus “is how you stand out.” While working with young Hispanic creatives she found many wanted advise on how to break into the world outside of their home countries, usually the U.S.
Once upon a time she flew to the U.S to meet with Barneys New York, but “those days are gone,” she cautioned. Now, she sees Instagram as the best department store, business card and look book for young talent. “It’s your main front store,” she said, adding that she tells the emerging creatives she connects with to be their own ambassador with a clear point of view to gain exposure in the global market.
Beltrán has always been her own envoy, as a kid her family took beach trips beaches to San Diego and Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, where she would collect shells. Her magpie collecting led her to her early jewelry, with friends asking her for pieces. She named her brand Dezso, loosely meaning “wish” in Spanish but to her her is is synonymous with desire. “Everybody desires something,” she said. The brand blossomed when she moved to India where she met master carvers helping her craft her collection using “a completely different process,” evolving to add gold and diamonds. India is a place “of transformation,” helping to push her even more creatively. “I have a quote that says, ‘I’m very proud to be Mexican, but I wouldn’t be who I am without India.’”
Her Mexican American heritage and curious eye on the world, cross-pollinating cultures is what has set her work apart. “We’re so global now,” she said, but her heart will always have a place in Latin America and Mexico “so much talent in all Latin America, there’s a lot happening. I’m very proud.”
The shift in melding of her culture and the craftsmanship of India continues to shape her brand today. It’s “how they transformation something that comes from Earth with their hands,” she said, adding “I have many, many ideas. I sit there for hours mixing“ channeling what her artisans have taught her while continuing to use things she collects in her travels. “It’s always a process,” she said of her creative spirit, “but the main core will always be ocean.” Today, she collects diamonds and shells along with other semiprecious materials. “I feel like every stone has their own uniqueness,” and her job to bring it to light.
She no longer does full collections and her pieces are found at a range of well-known jewelry boutiques including Twist in Portland, Ore.; The Loupe in Minneapolis, and Tiny Gods in Charlotte, N.C. She keeps a core assortment full of her shells, puka necklaces and sharks teeth, adding newness as she feels inspired. “I love to play, like every designer, but I’m responsible,” she quipped. “It’s a good balance.”
“There is something both unexpected and intriguing about Sara Beltrán and her collection,” said Alex Lippen, senior vice president of jewelry at Elyse Walker, the New York and California boutique that has carried the brand since 2023. “Inspired by her travels and the ocean, her jewelry evokes a sense of mystery. I think that our clients are drawn to her designs because they inspire curiosity and are conversation pieces, like there is a story behind each one of her creations.
In fact, her work has gained her collectors, something she is “grateful” for. At a recent trunk show at Palm Beach’s Marissa Collections 80 percent of the people that came said they were avid collectors — many she had never met. Each there to experience her handmade work. “I think people crave handmade. The world went too massive, too fast, there’s no borders, everything is too much right now,” she said.
“I think people are going back to handmade, like home cooked food, people want that right now.“
In honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, WWD chose 10 Latino designers who are shaping the world of fashion today to photograph and profile. The images from this series will be featured in a national billboard campaign run by Outfront.
