Anna Skarda of CarbickovaCrowns on Making Custom Made Halo Crowns for Khloe Kardashian, Beyoncé and More (Interview)

"I don't like to leave things up to chance. I decided to create something special for Khloé Kardashian to demonstrate. I looked through her Instagram, glanced at some interviews, and tried to 'feel it out' slightly. It seems that it worked out," the Slovak jeweler Anicka describes the process of creating accessories for the Kardashian in an interview.

Anna Skarda, born Curlejova, is engaged in the production of crowns as a fashion accessory. She works under the pseudonym Carbickova, and her work is already appreciated by many world-famous celebrities such as Beyoncé, Paris Hilton, and the aforementioned Khloé Kardashian. She recently exhibited her crowns at Expo 2020 in Dubai and at Paris Fashion Week.

Although the designer comes from a small village in Slovakia, she has lived in the neighboring Czech Republic for several years. She also graduated in glass and jewelry design at the Technical University there. In the interview, she reveals how much her most expensive crowns cost, her approach to designs for celebrities and which Warner Bros. series she made a shipment for HBO.

 
We had to postpone the interview because of your travels to Prague to hand over your crowns to Paris Fashion Week. Is this the first time they've appeared at the prestigious event?

I've worked several times with Janka Pistejova, we had shows together, but it was only in Slovakia. Once, we attended Fashion Week in Budapest a long time ago. We have been invited to Paris Fashion Week many times, but we didn't feel connected to the companies or studios which approached us, so we declined the invitation a few times. So yes, this is the first time.

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Did you have your own show or did you prep the crowns as a supplement to another designer's show?So far, it suits me if I can join someone. I enjoy creating to complement already-made clothes. It's a great inspiration, and I'm open to fashion shows and collaborations with other designers. I really like it. It reminds me of the school years. There's a charm and adrenaline to it. Everything is perfectly coordinated.

This time it was a show with Jitka Klett. It happened extremely fast, I had to make it in three days, which was very challenging. I like Jitka's style, so I'll be happy to work with her in the future.

What does your work appearing at Paris Fashion Week mean for you?

Prestige, new experience, different point of view. It makes sense to me.

Halo crowns evoke halos. When we designed for Expo 2020 in Dubai, where the unique ones were exhibited, they resembled relics a bit.

When you say the word "crown", most would probably imagine the classic royal crown from fairy tales. How did you develop your style and unique interpretation of the crown?

I think that's how it developed in my subconscious. My conscious inspiration is that all women are goddesses to me. It's everywhere around me, my friends, mothers, grandmothers, co-workers, our wonderful customers. It's a massive source of inspiration.

Myslím si, že takto som to mala uložené vo svojom podvedomí. A to, čo ma inšpirovalo vedome, je fakt, že pre mňa sú všetky ženy bohyne. Vidím to všade okolo seba. Mám v okolí skvelé kamarátky, matky, babičky, spolupracovníčky, naše úžasné zákazníčky. Je to obrovský zdroj inšpirácie.
 
I noticed that your currently most expensive crown is worth 550 euros. You probably also produce some tailor-made for private clients, right?Custom production was on hold for about two years. We had a lot of work changing the whole business strategy at the beginning of the pandemic, so there wasn't much time to spare. In fact, it is only now in 2022 that we return to custom production. We start accepting orders for custom production again, consulting them thoroughly to ensure the production process is as smooth as possible and the customer is satisfied.

Do these customers include celebrities?

Yes. And I really like these collaborations because it means that I can get involved in creation in most cases. My favorite thing is making music videos. This week, we also did a big order for the new Cherry Hill series from Warner Bros., which will air on HBO, but they didn't want anything custom-made there. They just chose crowns and accessories from the current offer.

 
What is the most expensive crown you have made for such client?

The most expensive crowns we ever produced were, in my opinion, at the Expo and not for a private client. Order for Little Mix (editor's note: British girls' music group) was more expensive because it was three crowns and accessories. The order for the aforementioned new series on HBO was also large.

We have regular customers who frequently take more accessories from us, so now I can't tell you who buys the most. Each larger order consists of crowns and accessories that are aligned with them.

So what is the approximate value of one crown from the Expo in Dubai?

Prices of these crowns range from 1,000 to 2,500 euros.

Your clients also include celebrities. Perhaps the most famous was Khloé Kardashian. How did this come about?

I don't know. The world is small. I think she had to come across us via Instagram, Google or Etsy.

How did you react when you saw her name amongst orders?

At first, I shouted, jumped, and clapped. Then I had to explain to Vlado (editor's note: husband) who she is because he's old school. He doesn't even use Facebook. Tears of happiness were flowing because it's just not something that happens to you every day. It's a good feeling that all the effort was worth it and we were going in the right direction.

 
On Instagram you wrote that it changed your life. How so?

It opened my eyes. I hadn't thought before that world-famous celebrities might want to shop with us. And I have a feeling that it has opened the door for us a bit. We suddenly became more popular in our country as well. Previously, there wasn't much interest in Halo crowns in Slovakia and the Czech Republic. In fact, almost no one knew about us, so we closed the sales gallery on some of the local portals. In recent months, though, it looks like Halo crowns are in high demand.

It's a great honor that she ordered something from us. The crown, which I designed for Khloé, was made free of charge, as a gift for her. She eventually made it a part of her Cleopatra Halloween costume.

 
In the end, you offered her a tailor-made crown instead of the crown she ordered.Khloé paid for the crown she ordered. I don't remember how much it cost at the time, but it was an older piece, and I don't like to leave things up to chance. I decided to create something special for Khloé Kardashian to demonstrate. I looked through her Instagram, glanced at some interviews, and tried to 'feel it out' slightly. It seems that it worked out.

It's a great honor that she ordered something from us. The crown, which I designed for Khloé, was made free of charge, as a gift for her. She eventually made it a part of her Cleopatra Halloween costume. It was a great success and spread on social networks under the hashtag #khloepatra. I'm still extremely happy about it. We have taken a huge step forward since then. I would have made something completely different for her now, but it warms my heart every time I look at those photos.

Didn't you try to contact her afterwards?No, I didn't want to be annoying or try to take advantage of the contact details. Personally, this doesn't seem like good marketing to me.
 
What was your approach to designing a crown for such a high-profile celebrity? Was it stressful?Certainly yes. And I also went through the whole reconciliation process, making peace with it being actually true. Khloé Kardashian really ordered a crown from us. A month later, I was even more humbled when I found out that we were shipping crowns to Beyoncé.

What was the order from Beyoncé like?

We sent a few crowns to Beyoncé, three were from Etsy's order, and I made the rest custom for her.

Which crowns were they?

It was a mix of crowns from simpler to very special ones. We selected the crowns in a way to provide a wide selection in case she'd like to use the crowns for filming.

                       
However, Khloé Kardashian and Beyoncé aren't the only world-famous stars who appreciate your work. I noticed that Paris Hilton also gave shoutouts to your crowns on Instagram many times. What does this mean for you as a designer?

To me it means that I'm on the right track. We are very lucky to have attracted such important fashion icons like her in such an oversaturated market. It's a great honor for me, and it gives me reassurance me that it makes sense to do things differently.

 
Did she buy anything from you too?I'm not aware of Paris Hilton ordering anything from us, but when she does, I'll definitely brag about it - she is a superstar, and I like her.

The biggest inspiration is how much I enjoy creating. I can design from dusk till dawn, that's how passionate I am about it. 

Which other world celebrities have given you shoutouts like this, or bought something from you? For example, I've noticed the rapper Joseline Hernandez.

Joseline is love. She has almost 5 million followers on Instagram, yet she is humble, human, and loving towards me as if we were friends. I was surprised. She's very nice. I'm looking forward to further cooperation with her. In December, she wrote that she was planning something again and would need me. I'm already excited.

How did such stars get to you?
Mostly via social networks or their stylists.
 
What is the inspiration for your crowns? Do they have a deeper meaning?

The biggest inspiration is how much I enjoy creating. I can design from dusk till dawn, that's how passionate I am about it. I'm quite inspired by people, trends, music, celebrities, fashion icons, materials, makeup, or photos. Inspiration is everywhere.

I wear crowns in a representative way. People in the Czech Republic are not used to this, so I try to bring our crowns into consciousness. 

 
On what special occasions do your customers wear the crown as a fashion accessory?

Our crowns are often worn at weddings, balls, festivals, important events, pregnancy photos, and such.

 
You often wear them yourself. Do you consider it a common addition to an outfit when you go out, or does it have to be the right opportunity to honor their importance?

I wear the crowns in a representative way. People in the Czech Republic are not used to this, so I try to bring our crowns into consciousness. For example, I often take the crown for filming, photography, a concert, a festival, or a fashion event. We both had crowns at our wedding, and everyone at the bachelorette party had Halo crowns.

The crowns for the Dubai Expo took me the longest time to make. I think each crown took about six days. My husband and I only had a month and a half to create the collection, it was a challenging period, but it was definitely worth it.

So you also make crowns for men?

Yes, we have already made crowns for men. They are mostly makeup artists, models, or burlesque dancers, buying something from our current offer, or we tailor the crowns for them. Requirements do not differ, customers often have a good idea of ​​what they would like to produce, and if not, we will ask them to create a mood board. The theme of celestial or goddess is now very modern and current. And men like it too.

What materials do you use for their production?

Currently, I use the most common filigree, jewelry components, pearls, stones, or minerals.

 
How long does it take you to make a crown from the first design to the final product?A simple product can last two days, a more complex one up to a few days.

How much time did the most complicated crown take you?

The crowns for the Dubai Expo took me the longest time to make. I think each crown took about six days. My husband and I only had a month and a half to create the collection, it was a challenging period, but it was definitely worth it.

 
Which crown are you the most proud of?

Most of all the crown I made for Khloé Kardashian. And one more unique piece that we sent to Beyoncé. We're all hoping that she'll put it on one day so that I can tell you: Yes, that's the one. (laughter)

 You are currently one of the most successful designers in the field. What do you plan for the future, and what else would you like to achieve with your craft?

That's really flattering, even though I'd never dare say so. There are a lot of foreign designers who are amazing. Thank you for the compliment. Since childhood, I've had a great passion for jewelry making, and I just want to keep improving. I enjoy shocking people and offering unique products to the market. We have our own style, and I still want to evolve. I embrace change, and I wonder where we will go next. I believe we're on the right path.