Cleo's Bio

Cleo Wolfus is an artist who has worked making hand made leather jewelry in Seattle for the past three years. She has a fine art background and graduated from Washington University with a BFA. Originally from Los Angeles, Cleo grew up traveling around the world with her parents. Their love of Native American art inspired her interest in hand crafts. Combining the bling & flash of her entertainment industry roots with a tribal spirit; she has developed a collection of sexy, leather cuffs & chokers. These are hand cut and sewn with meticulous beadwork and silver clasps.

When Cleo says she designs costume jewelry, she is not referring to “Grandma's glitz”. Preserving the thrill she remembers having as a child playing dress up, much of her work is made to be worn in the spirit of “jewelry for costume”. Her collection consists of jewelry for adults to get dressed up with. Cleo's style is exotic, feminine, and very sexy. The artist's studio looks part taxidermist shop and part pirates' trove. There, amongst the rolls of leather, are bags of various kinds of turquoise, coral, pearls, and silver by the pound. Here, Cleo makes her living in service of the fun in getting pretty.

Why Leather?

Cleo's favorite is deerskin for its spongy hand, elasticity and exceptional surface for beading. Teju lizard skin, stingray, kid, calf and pig skins are also used in her collection. Leather is the sexiest material on earth. Wearing it is provocative. Depending on how it is worn, leather can indicate many subcultural affiliations: leather chaps are to Bikers, as stilettos are to Fashionistas and so on. One of the reasons that so many groups fetishize the material is that leather connotes power and strength.

Cleo believes looking strong and beautiful need not hurt. “Why wear cuffs & collars of tough bull hide or riveted sweaty vinyl, when you can make a more tender statement in soft deerskin, crystal beads, and lapis-lazuli?” Cleo's alternative leatherwear projects a strong and softer persona. It is no surprise Cleo's favorite fashion icons are Grace Jones, Xena Warrior Princess, Cher and Barbarella. Being a tall, Amazon-like lady herself, Cleo is very interested in the Goddess within every woman. A woman's beauty has power and Cleo's adornments are made to promote this idea.

Under the everyday routine of going to the office, lab, or classroom, every woman has to deal with being conscious of dressing conservatively. Functional, albeit monotonous, this cultural standard prevents the public from being distracted by a woman's darker and sexy side. This private self is traditionally reserved to be shown to the people who can take on her appetite, fierceness and sass. It is that part of womanhood that Cleo Wolfus Designs is most interested in pampering.

Cleo sees herself as a craftsperson rather than an indie accessory designer in the Fashion business. Having made her start selling through independent designer boutiques, her company is growing rapidly toward the larger market of high-end craft trade shows. She is also pursuing creating a stronger retail presence in craft galleries.