A Love for Creating Jewelry Becomes a Life’s Passion
Daniela Cavazos Madrigal – Fruity Poms
“Creating Cultural Character with Whimsical Designs”
By Meredith Kay
Photography by David Teran
Many of us have a hobby that we are passionate about, but few of us have ever been able to turn that hobby into a thriving business. However, for one local artist, a whimsical hobby has become a viable vocation. Daniela Cavazos Madrigal was born in Laredo and received her bachelor’s degree in Fine Art at Texas A&M International before moving to San Antonio to pursue her master’s degree at U.T.S.A.
She began to dabble in jewelry making, creating fun and fuzzy earrings to show off on her social media pages. Daniela is beautiful, so she made the perfect model for her own designs, and her friends began to take notice and inquire about her unique jewelry. She began taking commission requests in 2017, making specialty earrings and pins with yarn, felt, and soft materials. When the orders started coming in, and she started to get more attention from people who had seen her posts and the posts of others wearing their commissioned designs, she decided to jump into jewelry making full time, and Fruity Poms was born.
Each unique piece is handmade and assembled here in South Texas, but she has become so busy that she has been able to outsource portions of the manufacturing to female artisans overseas. She feels strongly in supporting other women around the world, and this system allows her to give back to those communities who are also supplying her raw materials.
When asked what her inspiration is for her designs, Daniela states, “Everything I design is based on what I would wear myself. I enjoy creating jewelry that speaks to my Latina heritage and the culture that I grew up in.” This is why her “Merienda” collection does so well. Daniela’s creations celebrating conchas and café are fun conversation starters, and she sells out of her designs quickly.
For now, Fruity Poms jewelry is only sold online, and orders are taken and drop-shipped a couple of times a month. Daniela balances her growing business with grace while also raising two boys, Luca (6) and Marcelo (3), with her husband, Edgar, and she also manages to show and sell her designs at local artisan markets. She says, “I love setting up at local markets because it allows me to feel connected to the community. I get to meet my customers and see how my designs work with their personal styles. I’m grateful for the support from my customers, and I feel validated as an artist when I see that my designs make people happy.”
Always thinking about new ways to express her creativity, Daniela has also begun to design shoes, and she takes pre-orders until she reaches her manufacturer’s maximum capacity before closing a design. Shoes are manufactured from her designs overseas, and it usually takes 30 to 40 days to ship the orders. She ships all over the U.S. and Canada, and she even has customers in other countries. Future plans include creating a handbag line, along with necklaces and chokers, and possibly even a clothing line. You can’t miss a Fruity Poms design. They are big and bold, and since they are handmade, each piece is unique and special. Daniela’s designs are perfect for San Antonio, and she looks forward to sharing our South Texas style and her Latina influences with women around the world.
