G A B R I E L   C O N R O Y

Gabriel Conroy was born in Colorado and schooled at Central Saint Martens in London, The London College of Fashion, The Art Institute in Colorado, and the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.  Prior to graduating from the Art Institute, Gabriel was selected to assist evening-wear designer Victor Costa in New York City.  For two years he mastered his skills in the garment district before deciding to return to his home in Colorado.  In 2000 the clothing label “Gabriel” was launched and has been a great success!  In 2005, Gabriel paired up with B’Jewel of Aspen to offer custom created and one of a kind fashions. Gabriel’s couture inspired creations are wearable works of art that have been collected by Aspen’s elite clientele.  Gabriel’s work has been honored by the fashion industry time and again over the last 7 years.  In 2001, Gabriel was a finalist in the GENART Design Competition in New York.  In 2002 he was awarded the “Rising Star Award” by Fashion Group International.  In 2003 and 2007 he was awarded “Top Fashion Designer” by the Rocky Mountain News.  B'Jewel invites you to experience Gabriel's concept to creation, for that truly special piece.  Please call B'Jewel at 970.920.1711 to schedule an appointment.

K A T E R I N A  L A N K O V A

Katerina started dressing up her dolls with outfits she had made herself at the age of six years old. A few years later she knew she wanted to continue her hobby by attending the Textile and Manufacture School of Design.

At that time it was a necessity for Katerina to be making clothing, because there was not much vocational choice in communist Czechoslovakia.  She also was not very pleased wearing the hand-me-down clothes of her older sister, that did not fit her anymore. Until she was eighteen years old she did not have a chance to see much in the way of real fashion.

The first time she saw really stylish fashions was when she left her small town in Eastern Europe and moved to London. As one can imagine, for a teenager from a Czech village of 300 hundred people this change was a bit overwhelming, and it was a time for her to experiment and go from one extreme in style to another. Looking back from where she has come, she looks back on this period more as a process, not only on the level of skills, but also on the level of who she is and where she wants to be. The most significant and inspirational time for Katerina to grow as a designer was while living in Aspen.  It was the little fabric shop on the Main Street and a special friend, who always found the best piece of fabric, from which she had the opportunity to provide custom-made clothing of all kinds for very close friends, a women who were active in social and business circles.  They have always been her source of inspiration.  My clients want to be noticed; do not want to see other people wearing the same designs and want to be sexy and glamorous at the same time.  Katerina's work is always about details and using the best fabrics and executing every creation perfectly.  In March, 2006 Katerina auditioned her portfolio for Project Runway, and even though she was not selected, the experience brought about a major change in her life. For many nights, she found herself sewing until 5 a.m. It was her passion and joy that kept her awake.  From the moment she left the photographer's studio with her portfolio she was no longer merely a seamstress.  Katerina became a designer.