Leehe Segal of Bleecker & Prince

1: What is your greatest fear, and how do you manage it?

I have a lot of different fears depending on the area of my life we’re talking about. There is one that exists in all aspects of my life though, which is losing myself or doing things that aren’t meaningful to me.

"I want to be connected personally to everything that I’m doing."

I want to be connected personally to everything that I’m doing. It has to come from inside me not from outside of me. Take my jewelry for example, I don’t want to design for what’s trendy - my designs need to be meaningful to me in some way. Now, when I apply this fear to my personal life, I manage it by being present with and connected to the people around me, and the activities that I’m doing. Whether it’s doing the dishes, showering my kids, or designing for a client, I try to be mindful and intentional as much as possible. And meditation has really helped me succeed at this.

2: How do you define success?

Freedom. Freedom to do what I want with my work. When you’re doing what you want you truly feel the passion and connection to the art, and to the people your art affects, and that’s meaningful.

"When you’re doing what you want you truly feel the passion and connection to the art, and to the people your art affects, and that’s meaningful."

Getting the response from my clients and knowing that my work is making people happy is what’s most fulfilling to me. Luckily I get to do a lot of custom private projects so I get to meet a lot of my clients and build a more personal connection with them. But even from online clients worldwide, just hearing compliments like, “I wear this all the time”, is so rewarding. Success should really be defined as people making people happy.

3: Who are your real-life heroes?

This is a tough one for me. Honestly, it could be anyone, at any given moment, and it changes every day. It could be someone I just met today, like a salesperson, or someone I’ve known for a long time, like my grandmother. People inspire me by being their authentic selves, by sharing a perspective with me, or by opening up my mind. I find people that teach me something to be very inspiring - I’m drawn to people I can learn from.

4: What is the best gift you've given yourself?

That’s easy, it's my family. My husband, my two kids, and my dog. The greatest gift for me is the little family we built. I'm always in awe, you know, like wow, I helped make this - this is the culmination of my choices. It never ceases to amaze me. It’s very important for me that I’m present for my family and that I’m a good role model for my kids. And I achieve that by living a balanced, healthy life - splitting my time into thirds. I save a third of the day for myself, a third of the day for my family, and a third of my day for my work.

5: What was the last win you celebrated?

My birthday this year was a special one - I had 14 of my closest friends over for a woman’s night. So to make birthday celebrations more personal we have this tradition we call a blessing circle, which is when everyone takes turns either doing a simple blessing for the birthday girl, or it can be more personal, like sharing how they inspire them, how they impact their lives or what they wish for that person. What was unique for me about this year’s blessing circle is that I felt like it was the first year I was really capable of accepting all the love I was receiving, and that means a lot to me. I’ve always been appreciative of the blessings in the past, but being able to accept it on the level I did this year was a very beautiful experience for me.

"I think to be able to accept love on such a deep level, without any resistance, is a lot about self love. As we continue to process and grow and become better versions of ourselves, I believe the more we are accepting that self love."

I think to be able to accept love on such a deep level, without any resistance, is a lot about self love. As we continue to process and grow and become better versions of ourselves, I believe the more we are accepting that self love. In that blessing circle this year I really felt my growth and my self love - it was so special.

About Bleecker & Prince:

Quintessentially New York to the core, Bleecker & Prince is stylistically caught between its two eponymous Manhattan streets: Bleecker Street, with its sense of heritage and imperfect laid-back air, and Prince Street, tucked behind the main streets of Soho exuding a modern contemporary feel. Designed by Leehe Segal in New York City, the collection is bold and colorful with hints of edginess. The designs feature natural stones hand-carved into whimsical bubbles, enchanted donuts, and other voluminous silhouettes.

AP Picks: Enchanted Donut Jade, Extra Sprinkles Signet Ring, Mini Constellation of Carnelian, Milk Space Bar Earrings