Interviewed by Jules Lavallee
Jules Lavallee is a Celebrity Writer in LA. She covers celebrities, entrepreneurs, global leaders, authors, and business leaders.
Michael Westerband is a creative serial entrepreneur with a diverse and eclectic background.
Throughout his life, Michael has challenged himself to become a musician, investor, and now
Designer. His company, Timelapse Co.is taking the global stage with unique products that cater to the needs and changing fashions of the modern world.
You are a creative serial entrepreneur with a diverse background. Tell us about how does someone go from being a musician to a designer?
I think music and designing are very related in the sense that they’re
both creative endeavors, albeit expressed through different mediums, so I
don’t really think you can fully separate the two. With designing, just like
music, there’s not a single set dictum in terms of what direction to take, and
although there are boundaries and guidelines the possibilities are still
endless. Inspiration can be drawn from so many different sources, moods,
and feelings, and ultimately what is produced is a result of that inspiration.
So, for me, I think it was just a bit of a natural change. Aside from Timelapse,
I’m a partner in a live event production company, and in fact, the first
designs we came out with through Timelapse Co. were the result of stylistic
fashion trends we saw at the events we were producing.
How did your experience with working for a digital promotion company set the foundation for your company, Timelapse Co?
Digital promotion involves creative design since on digital it’s all about the
UI and visual appeal, so it really helped me to build a foundation for using the
various applications and technologies that we rely on at Timelapse – from
Photoshop and designing creative media for our website, to the sketching
and 3D applications we use to mockup and visual our jewelry designs. Of
course, the world is increasingly reliant on digital technologies, so
the experience helped define the skills needed early on that I didn’t even realize
would come in to play down the road. Ultimately now, running a jewelry
company is very related to running a promotion company since marketing is
so critical, so it’s interesting to be able to connect those dots looking
backward.
Tell us about Timelapse Co. What is unique?
First and foremost, I would really say it’s our designs that set up apart since
it’s our designs that we’re known for and what makes up easily
distinguishable. But of course, those designs are the result of a process, and I
think that’s another area where we distinguish ourselves. I’m not a designer
by formal training, and in some ways, I think that allows us to approach the
process differently which lets us come up with different designs. While we
have a certain aesthetic that we gravitate towards, in my mind inspiration
can be drawn from anywhere which is freeing.
You have a big following with celebrities. What are their favorites?
We’ve seen differences in terms of what different demographics seem to
deem their favorites. Men seem to gravitate towards our larger, classic
movement designs that are bolder, while women seem to lean towards our
more delicate designs, like our heart lariat. I know it sounds kind of
stereotypical, but that’s what our numbers have shown and what many have
said when we’ve spoken with them!
Share the creative process that goes into your designs.
It all starts with an inspirational theme, which can sort of come from
anywhere. In the past, we’ve focused almost exclusively on themes of time,
but as they say, time changes things and it’s also changed our approach. Now
we’re a bit broader in terms of themes where we allow ourselves to draw
inspiration from, but the basics remain that go into the process of designing
basically anything. It starts with sketches, and from there we make slight
modifications until building out rough prototypes. This is where the refining
really happens since we’ll adjust things like sizing and proportions that can’t
be fully felt until we have something physical, but from here we’ll ultimately
create a finished product.
What are you most proud of?
I would say that initially launching the brand and making our first sales has
been thus far my proudest moment. It took so much at the beginning to even
get things up and running, and before even delivering our first pieces as an
official brand, there was so much in terms of real shed of blood, sweat, and
tears. For so many weeks and months prior to launching, I had envisioned it in
my head of what things would be like that when it finally came to fruition
and we began delivering happiness to our customers it was certainly
satisfying.
You also do custom designs. Can you share a few unique pieces?
Custom work is often my favorite to do because with custom work we work
so closely with the customers and build a relationship with them, so when
we’re able to finally deliver the pieces they’ve been dreaming about it’s
really heartwarming. Most of the time, customers request material upgrades
and unique chain selections, such as a raw black diamond chain. But
sometimes, customers go all out and bring us incredibly unique ideas, such as
when once when we turned one of our watch movement necklaces into a
usable life counter for the card game Magic the Gathering. That customer
really took things to the next level, and we ended up using solid gold and
platinum, and integrating sapphires into the piece to make it a truly one-of-a-
kind, fine jewelry piece.
What can we expect to see for holiday shopping?
We’re working on some different designs, a few of which will be released by
the holidays this season, but the majority will be for Spring 2022. For now,
though, I’ll say that one of the themes we’re drawing from places and things
around us, so you’ll have to check back with us to see!
Find us online at timelapseco.com or on Instagram at @timelapseco_la
About The Author
