Simon Alcantara

Simon Alcantara is a native New Yorker born to Dominican parents. As a teenager, he received scholarships from several prominent classical ballet schools and danced professionally for years in both soloist and principal roles. Always holding a passion for designing jewelry, as a hobby he would develop pieces and ultimately cultivated a loyal fan base of aspiring and professional ballerinas. Years later, after a severe injury cut his dance career short, he redirected his focus on creating fine jewelry full time.

As a self-taught designer who creates fine jewelry using natural materials; including precious and semi-precious stones, bone, exotic woods, leather, mother of pearl and precious metals, Alcantara has a reputation for crafting magical, whimsical pieces that convey a feeling of exoticism and an adventurous spirit. The primary source of his inspiration comes from the individualist modern woman who celebrates her inherent femininity and personal power.

Previouds collaborations with Oscar de la Renta, Balmain Haute Couture Paris, J. Mendel Paris and Mary McFadden helped establish Alcantara’s namesake label, which was officially launched in 2000, and in 2004, he was accepted into the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA).

In 2005, Alcantar had a stellar year. In addition to being honored the prestigious Rising Star Award for Fine Jewelry by Fashion Group International Inc., he was also one of nine designers chosen by a panel of fashion editors, executives and members of the CFDA and NY Transit System to design a subway-inspired accessory for the centennial celebration of the New York Subwas System. Alcantara designed a pair of earrings using 18k gold and 14k-diamond cut chains that incorporated design elements found in a wrought-iron subway gate. The project also included the design of 750,000 limited edition metrocards that were distributed throughout the city.