{"id":5958,"date":"2022-01-20T16:28:26","date_gmt":"2022-01-20T21:28:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/?post_type=cpt_portfolio&p=5958"},"modified":"2026-07-08T20:27:25","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T00:27:25","slug":"colette-harmon","status":"publish","type":"cpt_portfolio","link":"https:\/\/blackfashioncanada.ca\/database\/fr\/profiles\/colette-harmon\/","title":{"rendered":"Colette Harmon"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t

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Highlights<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Guyana-born Colette Harmon turned a side hustle making leather earrings into a high-fashion jewelry career celebrated in magazines and museum exhibits.<\/li>\r\n \t
Drawing inspiration from everyday beauty instead of trends, she crafts one-of-a-kind beadwork pieces using crystals, semi-precious stones and metals sourced worldwide.<\/li>\r\n \t
She resists being boxed in by labels like \u201cBlack designer,\u201d insisting on being seen simply as an artist whose work speaks for itself.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul><\/span><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Colette Harmon is a Toronto-based jewelry designer specializing in high-fashion pieces that reflect her unique beadwork. Her creations have been featured in Elle Canada<\/em>, Flare<\/em>, Martha Stewart Weddings<\/em>, and Nylon<\/em> magazine. Her unique jewelry designs have assured her place as a prominent influencer in Canadian fashion history.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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(Photo courtesy of Colette Harmon)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Early Life and Career<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Harmon was born in Sister\u2019s Village, Guyana, South America, as the middle child and only daughter of hard-working Guyanese parents. Her father was a police officer and her mother a teacher. Harmon believes her creativity comes from her mother who was also a seamstress. \u201cShe could create without a pattern, simply cutting the fabric and sewing for herself, me and my dolls,\u201d says Harmon. \u201cSometimes, I\u2019d come home after school and find a matching outfit for me and a doll,\u201d she remembers. \u201cPlus she was a singer and piano player as well.\u201d<\/p>
Searching for new opportunities, Harmon\u2019s parents moved to Toronto when she was five. She attended Brampton\u2019s North Park Secondary High School and Huron Heights in Newmarket. She continued\u00a0 her post-secondary education at Seneca College, studying Fashion Design and working part-time at Lizanne\u2019s Fabrics.<\/p>
After graduating, Harmon worked at Princeton Leathers while also designing accessories independently, until a customer asked for a pair of earrings to go with her belt.\u00a0 She fullfilled that order and her jewelry design career began.<\/p>
\u201cI started with what I now consider \u2018cheesy\u2019 earrings,\u201d she says laughing. \u201cI cut out triangles, circles and squares, covering them in leather.\u201d Today Harmon\u2019s designs are one-of-a-kind using crystals, semi-precious stones, metal and occasionally silver from around the world.<\/p><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Renee, Photo courtesy of Colette Harmon<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Lil' Kim wears Colette Harmon Jewellry, Fashion Cares (Photo courtesy of Colette Harmon)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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This special section creates a spread of 2 photos that will jut out into the side margin.<\/p>\n
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Carole Tanenbaum, a collector and owner of an international vintage custom jewelry business for over 40 years, helped Harmon succeed. A supporter of Canadian designers, she describes seeing Harmon\u2019s work and meeting her for the first time.<\/p>
Tanenbaum recalls their first time meeting: \u201cBeautiful beaded necklaces, wonderful original designs. She was a struggling artist, so I bought 10 pieces,\u201d she adds, expressing her admiration for Harmon\u2019s talent. \u201cShe brought, I think, a suitcase full.\u201d<\/span><\/p>
Tanenbaum describes Harmon as being, \u201cvery sweet and dedicated. She\u2019s like this life spirit, which is quite beautiful. She has an angelic face and I could feel her vulnerability,\u201d which she explains, \u201cis one reason I took her under my wing for a while. I believed in her, but I\u2019m not sure she believed in herself. There was mutual respect and we worked well together.\u201d<\/p>
Instead of following trends, Harmon is inspired by the beauty around her, which makes her designs undoubtedly unique. She considers herself an artist, not a designer. \u201cI\u2019m an out-of-the-box thinker, always have been,\u201d says Harmon. \u201cI\u2019ve never worn anything because it\u2019s fashionable or worn by masses,\u201d she adds. \u201cI\u2019ve never owned skinny jeans.\u201d<\/p>
\u201cOnce I sold a favourite necklace, one I\u2019d worn for two years, right off my neck,\u201d she recalls, \u201cand I\u2019ve sold unexpectedly before. Another time, at the Four Seasons Hotel, a woman bought a charm necklace I was wearing,\u201d she says, but admits “trying to redo pieces doesn\u2019t work; it\u2019s never quite the same.\u201d Harmon\u2019s personality shows in her work and she only makes and sells what she likes. \u201cI think I\u2019m my own muse,\u201d she reveals. \u201cIf I wouldn\u2019t wear it, I can\u2019t make it.\u201d<\/p><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Fashion and Diversity<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Harmon doesn\u2019t believe her ethnicity is represented in her work. \u201cI don\u2019t think of myself as a Black jewelry designer.\u00a0 I think of myself as a designer, but people do characterize and label you,” she says. “You\u2019d never read \u2018Mark Jacobs the white clothing designer’,\u00a0 but whenever it\u2019s a Black person it\u2019s mentioned,\u201d she explains. \u201cI know I\u2019m Black. It\u2019s not a conscious thing. I\u2019m just a person.\u201d<\/p>
She doesn\u2019t recall experiencing racism throughout her career. \u201cBecause I look a certain way, because I\u2019m, quote-unquote \u2018attractive\u2019, people have always been nice to me,\u201c she says, \u201cbut I know racism exists, I just haven\u2019t encountered it personally.\u201d<\/p>
Harmon recounts her parents having difficulties renting an apartment because of race. \u201cThere would be a vacancy sign, but when the superintendent opened the door and saw Black faces, they\u2019d be told there were no vacancies,\u201d she tells us.\u00a0 Also, her father was refused a promotion due to his skin colour.<\/p>
She shares her outlook on racism in the fashion industry, specifically how often agencies keep one token Black or Asian model for the sake of \u2018diversity.\u2019 Changes to begin resolving these issues in the industry are recent, but further reflection is still needed.<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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I think I\u2019m my own muse,\u201d she reveals. \u201cIf I wouldn\u2019t wear it, I can\u2019t make it.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Influence and Legacy<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Harmon\u2019s unique jewelry designs assure her standing as a prominent influencer in Canada\u2019s fashion history. Her hard work has evolved into many accomplishments, including her pieces that sold in Saks Fifth Avenue and Holt Renfrew Canada.<\/p>
Her personal aesthetic and meticulous beadwork have provided many opportunities. She was featured at the Canadian Fashion Exhibit at the Royal Ontario Museum from December 3, 2022 — July 2023. She’s also mentioned in the book Fabulous Fakes: A Passion for Vintage Costume Jewelry<\/em> by Carole Tanenbaum.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>
In the future, she wishes to do a capsule collection of fine jewelry utilizing a mix of gold and coloured gemstones. \u201cI would love to create art objects,\u201d she reveals. \u201cSomething\u2019s in the works, but it\u2019s in the talking stage and I don\u2019t talk about anything until it happens,\u201d she adds at the end of our interview.<\/p>
Celebrated Canadian designer Wayne Clarke, who featured Harmon\u2019s jewelry in several of his fashion shows, put it best, \u201cNobody does what she can.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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You\u2019d never read \u2018Mark Jacobs, the white clothing designer,\u2019\u201d she says, \u201cbut whenever it\u2019s a Black person it\u2019s mentioned. I know I\u2019m Black, it\u2019s not a conscious thing,\u201d she explains. \u201cI\u2019m just a person.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t $\"Close-up$ \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
(Photo courtesy of Colette Harmon)<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Charmaine Gooden<\/a><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>\n<\/article><\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Over the years Prof. Gooden has built a multi-media career as an editor, writer, presenter, public relations consultant and special event manager, spokesperson, host, and educator. She...<\/p>\n Read More<\/a><\/div><\/div>\n <\/div>
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Archive of images at BFC:<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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0<\/span>Comments<\/span><\/a><\/div><\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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Share your thoughts:<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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