Shana Tabor, the totally rad designer behind the super-stylish line In God We Trust, first came up with the design for bracelet she made us as a token of appreciation for a friend, fittingly dubbing it the “thanks” cuff. What makes our version extra special? Red Swarovski crystals—boo-ya. Below, Shana talks us through the steps involved in making one of these bad boys at her Greenpoint, Brooklyn, studio, as Becca Mapes, IGWT’s very talented jewelry product manager, demonstrates. —alisha prakash Get Shana’s cuff—that we may or may not be OBSESSED with—now. “Saw a 12-inch brass rod in half. Each rod makes two cuffs.” “Next, the brass is annealed using an acetylene torch. This allows the molecules in the metal to separate, making the metal softer and more malleable. The oxidation (a.k.a. blackness) made by annealing the metal is removed from the brass with something known as a pickle solution. The rods are then lightly sanded to remove any discoloration or dirt. The ends are filed and sanded until they are smooth enough to slide on and off the wrist.” “Then we hand-forge the rods around a bracelet mandrel by hammering them repeatedly with a rawhide mallet.” “The cuff begins to take shape after a lot of hard work.” “More perfecting of the shape!” “Once the cuff is shaped, it is hammered on a steel block to give it a textured finish.” “These awesome opaque red stones—Swarovski crystals, made in Austria—are then set into the ends of the cuff.” “After some final finishing and polishing, voila!”

Shana Tabor has come a long way: “When I first started, I had a tiny corner of my bedroom where I would sit for 12 hours every day and make jewelry,” she explains of the roots of her line In God We Trust, which now tackles apparel, too. But in 2005, about two years after she started working on her line full-time, Shana decided it was time to set up shop—an interest she had from the very beginning. She now has a trifecta of super-influential, crazy-cool locations in Greenpoint, Soho, and Williamsburg that carry the likes of D.S. & Durga, Billy Kirk, and The Hill-Side, beyond her own creations. Here’s how each shop came to be. —alisha prakash “The Greenpoint store is where all the magic happens. Our design studio is here, and it’s where all the manufacturing takes place. I found this location in search of a bigger studio space. I loved the idea of our studio being attached to a retail space—it’s the best of both worlds. This space is by far our largest location, allowing freedoms not available in our smaller locations. The brick walls were already here. We added one large-scale piece of furniture, and it was done. Greenpoint has a real sense of community that is lacking in most New York neighborhoods, especially in North Brooklyn.” (70 Greenpoint Ave., Brooklyn) “This store is our first Manhattan location. I was prompted to look in that neighborhood by a fellow shop owner, and when I saw the space was available, I left a note under the gate and waited for a call. Thankfully it happened. This stretch of Lafayette is a place that I used to shop in during the nineties. It’s also an interesting location in the city because we are not quite in Soho and also not really in Nolita. That makes for an interesting mix of people and lifestyles. The space is long and narrow, so there’s not much you can do. The main concern was removing the glass walls and six layers of X-Girl wallpaper (even on the ceilings!).” (265 Lafayette St.) “This Bedford Avenue store is our newest location, which opened last summer. It is home to our perfect customers—this includes tourists and locals. Can’t help it, haters: This is my home. I have lived in Williamsburg since 2000. I love working in the same ‘hood that I live in—even though I sometimes hate it, too.” (129 Bedford Ave., Brooklyn) You’re not going to want to miss out on Shana’s edition: This crystal-tipped brass cuff is rocking our world.