OUR FOUNDER
“SOSI was born from my lifelong obsession with adorning myself from head to toe with colorful and inspiring jewelry, and never wanting to take those pieces off. ”
FROM THE BEGINNING
SOSI founder Leeza Cinar has always found a special delight in jewelry - those who remember the board game Pretty Pretty Princess and whose favorite gift was always a set of multi-colored plastic beads might relate to her childhood fantasies of being adorned from head to toe.
THROUGH TIME
As her concept of daily dressing and embellishment developed in adulthood, Leeza was disenchanted by the options available to her. While unique and intricate pieces of costume jewelry were plentiful, they tarnished easily and became unwearable quickly. Meanwhile, the only options for fine jewelry meant-to-last were overly simplistic, unimaginative, and didn’t speak to her desire for thoughtful design.
She sought to bridge the gap for style-conscious, realistic consumers who were interested in wearing both beautiful, eye-catching pieces that would last for decades, not just a few wears.
THE START OF SOSI
Following completion of her Bachelors degree in Art History and Anthropology at Rutgers University, Leeza began a career working in social media and marketing for various names in the jewelry and beauty industries.
Her pivot to fine jewelry was supported by work with local craftsmen and suppliers in New York City. In keeping with the time-honored Armenian traditions of jewelry making and with deep connections to her heritage, she has been inspired by the spiritual and cultural traditions of the Armenian people which bears a strong influence on her work.
Leeza designs each piece with deep intention and unwavering passion, and works with master craftsmen to bring her ideations to reality. She continues to pull inspiration from color theory, modern architecture, and historical aspects of adornment.
