Elena Howell’s earliest jewelry memory is of her mother’s star ruby ring, a prized possession that has reminded Howell of how precious fine jewelry is and the kinds of memories it creates for those who wear it.
This glittering ring came from Howell’s great-grandfather, who was a jeweler with the Dinhofer Brothers, jewelry-makers based in New York City, during the 1930s. He and his brothers cut a large ruby into three smaller stones and made matching rings for their children—one of whom was Howell’s maternal grandmother.
“My grandmother passed away a year after I was born, and that ring has always been important to my mother—she never takes it off,” says Howell (pictured above), founder of jewelry brand the Fête.
Howell, who grew up in Los Angeles and majored in English at UC Berkeley, had been in the workforce for nearly 20 years when she debuted the Fête in 2019, motivated by her love for design—and for that ruby ring heirloom.
Her first job, in 2000, was in marketing at Wired magazine in San Francisco. “It was there that I realized that I didn’t want to be just promoting other creatives—I wanted to be creating myself,” she says.
While working for Wired, Howell attended college extension classes. Two were especially meaningful: screenwriting, due to her interest in writing, and furniture design, which she took out of a passion for design.
Ultimately, Howell chose design as her life’s work. She received a master’s degree from the Southern California Institute of Architecture and in 2006 joined the L.A.–based firm Marmol Radziner, known for their restoration of homes by such celebrated midcentury architects as Richard Neutra and John Lautner, and for a high-profile client list that includes Demi Moore and Tom Ford.
Life was good—until 2008, when the economy collapsed and all architecture and construction work felt like it was at a standstill. With the extra time in her schedule, Howell, who had recently moved to New York with her new husband for his work, created her first jewelry line, using the digital tools and 3D printing methods she learned in architecture school.
“I called the line TOMTOM Jewelry, named after my cat, Tomato,” Howell says. “We spent a lot of time together alone in the apartment designing jewelry.”
TOMTOM unexpectedly became a hit after it was featured in the now defunct design magazine Daily Candy.
“It was crazy. In the months that followed, my jewelry was featured in The New York Times, Vogue magazine, and worn by countless celebrities,” Howell says.
Although the business was growing, Howell also had to handle new family demands and a move back to Los Angeles. “Juggling two children under 2, I found the pace and stress of designing new collections two or three times a year just too much for me,” she says.
“This was during the time when direct-to-consumer was really taking off, and I loved the idea of doing a simplified line completely on my own terms, producing and adding to it only when I felt inspired.”
The Fête offers modern charm jewelry in 14k solid gold or gold vermeil. The brand is named in honor of all the celebrations and special moments of life, Howell says. Her collections feature symbols of love, tokens of luck, and pieces meant just to make the wearer smile.
“My jewelry philosophy is to wear what makes you happy,” Howell says. “I’m a minimalist at heart, so I tend to wear a pared-down selection of pieces I can sleep in and wear every day with every outfit. But if maximalism makes you happy, then wear it all!”
(Photos courtesy of the Fête)
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