At the tender age of 18, the Florida teen the made her way to New York City to attend Parsons School of Design with a full scholarship in tote. Interning for Donna Karen and Josie Natori upon graduation proved to the ambitious 22-year-old that her dreams were undoubtedly in reach. Now, at the age of 36, Peña has successfully launched her own jewelery line which sells in nearly 300 stores worldwide
. She has worked with celebrities such as Fergie, Nicole Richie, Evelyn Lozada and most recently Beyoncé, which garnered a swarm of internet buzz once the “Dance For You” star was spotted in Peña’s “Obama” earrings. Erika Peña is a jewelry designer whose multi-cultural upbringing has shaped her jewelry designs into culturally sound pieces of fashionable art and has captured the attention of fashionistas worldwide. The influence of her travels and cultures has led to Erika becoming a universal sensation. Peña,born in Puerto Rico, the daughter of Dominican parents, moved to Florida at the age of three. At 18, she relocated to New York City where she studied fashion design at Parsons Design School . Here, her skills were honed working and collaborating with fashion labels like Donna Karan and Josie Natori. After graduating and returning to Puerto Rico , Peña worked as a representative selling designer lines. Using nothing but her love of culture and a dismantled shell lamp, Peña designed and handmade a pair of earrings that launched what today is her jewelry empire, Erika Peña Designs. This empire also encompasses her partner Bielka Bevillard-Pena. Her exquisite creations have graced the pages of InStyle, Glamour, Vogue, Elle, Us Weekly, HOLA, Harper’s Bazaar, and ELLE to name a few. Style icon’s like Paris Hilton, Beyonce, Brooke Shields, Kim Kardashian, and Bridget Marquardt are several of the designer’s clientele. And most recently, Erika Peña launched her line internationally with the prestigious showroom Show Me That, in Madrid, Spain. (Show Me That is owned and operated by the Dukes of Feria home to clients such as Manolo Blanik, Oscar De La Renta and Tiffany and Co.) She made world news by creating the O-Bama earrings that Beyonce wore to support the Obama re-election campaign. Her drive and determination pushed the designer to venture into uncharted territory.
