The Johnny Valentine aesthetic is so distinct. Was jewelry design a lifelong calling, or did you stumble into this world?

Totally fell into it! This is my 3^rd career – I was a dancer & then hairstylist for 15 years. The first experience that sparked my interest in jewelry & adornment was visiting the Liberace museum in Las Vegas as a teenager. I started to wear rings on every finger just like Mr. Showmanship & wanted to be as fabulous as him! I was enamored by his self-expression & maximalism. For a long time, I was just a jewelry lover but then my best friend & I took a class to learn the basics & I was hooked on metalsmithing. Bought all the tools I needed for home & got to work!

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, Vest Straight to Hell Apparel, jeans H&M, cap courtesy of Johnny Valentine.

Your pieces feel like they belong in their own universe. What’s fueling that creativity? Would you say it’s mainly punk or rock subcultures? Or is there more?

I’m a true cinephile. I see a couple of movies in the theater every week & play movies all day long while I work. Got the TV from my childhood bedroom in my studio & all my old VHS tapes. Same shit I’ve been watching on repeat since I was a kid. I find endless inspiration in film. When I fall in love with a film, it always makes its way into my work & whenever I feel creatively stuck, I just head to the movie theater.

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, jeans H&M, jacket & t-shirt courtesy of Johnny Valentine.

Johnny Valentine’ has such a classic, tough ring to it. What’s the story behind the name choice?

My shyness & anxiety have held me back a bit in life, so I came up with an alter ego to create under so I could feel more free. The name needed to be tough & tender. Classic & cool. Johnny Valentine just felt so right!

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, jeans H&M, jacket courtesy of Johnny Valentine.

You’re famously hands-on. Walk us through the journey of a piece, from a raw spark of an idea to the finished metal in your hands.

My favorite pieces to make are one-of-a-kind chains based on my favorite films. I have a movie in metal series that I’ve been working on for 2 years now. Think of it like synesthesia through chains. I try to translate the feeling of the film through complex link arrangements. While working on one of these special pieces, I watch the inspiration film repeatedly. I do long runs on the westside to the score & soundtrack to try & put myself inside of the film’s world. These chains are the most work but also the most satisfying! I just finished one based on Cronenberg’s The Fly.

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, vest & jeans LEVIS, sunglasses EAGLE EYES, gloves PATRICIA FIELD X SEYMOURE.

You’ve made recycled silver your signature medium. What is it about silver that speaks to you, and do you ever find yourself flirting with the idea of other metals?

I do make solid gold chains when a client requests them! But working in mostly recycled solid silver gives me space to experiment as the cost of silver is lower. Any scraps or links that I mess up can be melted back down & used on the next piece. Love that there’s zero waste in my process & that what I’m making is built to last.

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, jeans H&M, boots FRYE.

Right now, you’re the heart and the hands of the entire operation. As the brand keeps growing, how do you balance the need to grow with the desire to keep that handmade/solo process intact?

Making chains is the fun part for me! I’m gonna keep forging each piece by hand ’til my fuckin fingers fall off!

Johnny Valentine wears chains.

Landing at Dover Street Market is a major moment for you. How did that partnership begin, and what’s it like seeing your work in such a notable/fashionable space?

Having my work carried at DSMNY & DSMLA has been a dream come true! Still can’t believe I get to have my pieces displayed next to all the coolest designers. Working with Dover began in a very natural way. I went to an event there & someone from their team asked me about the chains I was wearing. The next week I went to the DSM offices to show them my collection & that’s that! Feels really validating to have my pieces in a store I have been shopping at for years. The DSM community has been so kind & supportive.

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry.

We’ve spotted some very famous faces wearing your chains lately. How does it feel to see your work on that stage? Any favorite moments you can share?

When something I made by myself in my loft lands on a star, it’s a fuckin thrill! Really helps me feel like I’m a part of something bigger since I work solo in my studio everyday. Last year one of my pieces ended up on Caitlyn Clark in a Nike Super Bowl commercial & that was huge cause so many people saw it. It’s also exciting to see my work used in a different context than I imagine it in. Like a chain I made based on Dennis Hopper’s character in Wim Wenders’ The American Friend, ended up in a K-Pop music video! Seeing my chain on Lisa from Blackpink was such a treat. Shes a real star & an incredible dancer. Truly thankful to all the stylists who believe in my work & chose to include it in their projects & grateful to the musicians who choose to wear my chains on stage.

Johnny Valentine Chains jewelry, jeans H&M, boots FRYE.

We have to talk about the Johnny Valentine pinball machine—it’s brilliant. Was this a long-time dream of yours, and how did you actually get it built?

My partner Dieter Wiechmann does all my branding & graphic design. We had a summer where we were so into pinball, spending hours playing it & making bets. We got to talking about how cool it would be to turn an old pinball machine into a display case & how sick the chains would look lit up inside. Dieter designed it & our talented friend, fabricator Shawn Taylor, built it out so perfectly. We talked about this idea for years, so I was stoked that Dover Street Market allowed me to make it real.