Step inside a moonage daydream at DeSoto Central Market’s pop-up shop MoonAge. The owners, soon-to-be-married couple Tyler Greene and Kelli Vanyek, pursue their love for making jewelry every day inside a quaint space tucked between hip restaurants and coffee shops.
Founded in December 2014, the business originated in Tempe, Arizona and remained there for two years. The shop closed for the summer of 2016 while it transitioned to its new space in DeSoto Central Market in downtown Phoenix, which opened just two weeks ago.
Greene and Vanyek began their journey with a passion for cool vibes, David Bowie and as Greene explained, “not working shitty jobs” for the rest of their lives. While the two make about 85 percent of the jewelry themselves, the rest of the collections are comprised of work from local artists.
Their inspiration is drawn from the Goblin King himself, David Bowie, and their own personal style blended with the southwestern-influenced aura of Arizona. Utilizing ethically-sourced diamonds, sterling silver, gold and locally-found turquoise gives their jewelry a cool and electric feel — perfect for the modern daydreamer.
During my visit to the store, customers flocked to a set of beautifully intricate rings pressed from old coins. Passerby were astonished at the detail preserved on the ring and immediately requested to try one on. I personally gravitated towards the turquoise rings: with a bright and vintage feel, they beg to be stacked.
A main purpose of MoonAge is to offer quality jewelry at an affordable price with no mixed metals that will turn your skin green. Pieces range from around $25 to $350, offering a comfortable price point for any customer — even a broke college student. For these two artisans, it is not about the money. “We just wanted to make awesome jewelry,” Greene explains.
In addition to jewelry, MoonAge sells a David Bowie-inspired candle, cards created by local artists and a few terrariums. This range of products works together to create a “perfect little microshop,” as Greene calls it, with a cool gift shop vibe.
Greene claims to be very lucky to have gotten “such an awesome reaction” to the jewelry so far and I expect an extremely successful future for MoonAge.
Contact the author at mlutesad@asu.edu.
