Cool Hunting

By Ezra Natalia

By using the mass production techniques of industrial chemistry on a much smaller scale Sarah McLellan and Kristina Ortega are able to create one of a kind pieces of jewelry for their new line named Mctega. Inspired by their pre-med educations and organic chemistry more specifically, the duo use materials known for their ubiquity to handcraft necklaces that are both creative and surreal. From animals gilded in gold, to chunks of crystal and amorphous glass-like plates with colourful hexagons, prices range from $92 to $325.

We recently caught up with the duo to ask them a few questions about their line and how they got started.

What are you listening to right now?
We are watching the Olympics! That is all we have been doing for the past week and a half. No music... Were obsessed!

When and how did you start Mctega?
We started last fall in Los angeles. We are friends and we wanted to see what we could create together.

What's your latest collection about?
It's about our science backgrounds. We both majored in science disciplines until our junior year of college before deciding to study fashion. Even though we decided to pursue fashion, science still shapes the way we think and design.

How do you come up with these ideas and put them into action?
Umm, it’s just like anything else. We come up with ideas in our head but the hard part is figuring out how to make them come to life. It’s a lot more research and trial and error then we thought it would be, but the best thing we allow ourselves to do is make mistakes. They have lent themselves to some of our best pieces.

Why jewelry? Why not something else?
Well we decided to start with jewelry first because it was a great way for us to work together and see what we could produce. Mctega itself was just an experiment to see what we could create together. Our goal is to eventually create a clothing line, but we thought it was much more manageable to work with jewelry first.

Who are some other local designers that you admire/respect and why?
Well we are based in Los Angeles so it has to be Rodarte. We actually met during our internship there. Kate and Laura are incredible. Hands down.

What does a typical day in your life look like?
Well not too glamorous... we both work part time to support Mctega, so we go to work then we meet up and work on our own stuff. We can't wait for the day when we can just work on Mctega.

What's your biggest inspiration?
Bill Nye!

Any advice?
Well we always try to embrace change, which is sometimes hard. We push each other to take risks, not just for the sake of it, but to create something that is new to us and something that we can learn from.

Where can we buy your stuff?
Online at Mctega