kara braud, the owner and designer of kara michele, began designing and making jewelry as a hobby at a very young age on summer vacations to her grandparents' house. she developed a love for creating wearable art, and began shaping her first collection in 2009. all pieces are handmade by kara (and a friend or two) in fairhope, alabama, where she was born and raised, using freshwater pearls and semi-precious stones. inspiration comes from kara's unique perspective of the world.