Frequently Asked Questions About Larisa Barrera Jewelry

  • Yes. Larisa Barrera is the daughter of Jose and Maria Barrera and worked within their jewelry company throughout her life, eventually becoming a co-designer alongside her father. She now designs her own collection under her own name, continuing the family's jewelry-making tradition while building her own brand.

  • Larisa studied at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD), returning to work in the family jewelry business during summers and vacations. After graduating, she worked for three years as a design assistant to Mark Badgley at Badgley Mischka, designing beadwork and sourcing fabrics and trims for the label's beaded gowns. She rejoined the Jose and Maria Barrera family business as a co-designer in 1996.

  • In 1990, while still a student, Larisa designed the iconic necklace worn by Cher on the cover of Vanity Fair. She later became known as a preferred handbag designer for red carpet stylists, creating custom jeweled evening handbags to match celebrity gowns — worn by Halle Berry at the 2002 Academy Awards, Britney Spears at the VMAs, and worked on jewelry for Beyonce and Lady Gaga, among others.

  • Larisa and her father designed and fabricated their pieces in-house at their jewelry factory in New York City. Larisa has now moved her studio to Connecticut not far from NYC where the tradition of hand-fabricated  beadwork and intricate stone setting continues in her own collection today.

  • Yes, I offer many clip-on Earrings styles and a couple styles on my website are available with pierced backing. On my Shop pages, under Earrings you will find both clip and pierced options and I have separated just the pierced earrings styles under the “Pierced Earrings “header. You can view a summary of the styles all together on my “Explore My Collections “page.

  • Larisa uses Swarovski crystal, 24k gold plate brass metal, silver-plated brass metal, and natural stones such as turquoise, agate, coral, lapis, onyx, and quartz.

  • Yes, Please email info@larisabarrera.com with a screen shot or full title description of the item you would like to order with special color description and we will reply back with pictures of available materiel for approval to confirm.

  • I can accommodate customization of jewelry to fit your specifications in most cases.  For example, adjustments to length of necklaces and bracelets, or changing a drop on earring. We can provide limited customization services as all our jewelry is handmade in my studio.  Before placing your order online, please send an email to larisa@larisabarrera.com to request customization or leave request on the checkout page under Additional Information box provided for comment.. Time frame for delivery may be delayed slightly as a result of design change.

  • My jewelry is made with limited stock, mostly made to order.  My team of artisans goes to work immediately after an order is placed to ship within 3 to 5 business days from order placed. Please email or add a note at checkout if you have a specific rush date request so we can let you know what is possible

  • Jose and Maria Barrera's archive represents the original family brand, sold for decades at Neiman Marcus and worn by celebrities from the label's earliest years. Larisa Barrera is her own contemporary line, designed and produced under her own name — you can find the original Jose and Maria Barrera collection at joseandmaribarrera.com

Larisa Barrera - History to The Present

Larisa Barrera in her showroom with her jewelry , Beyonce and Cher images

Larisa Barrera worked within the Jose and Maria Barrera company throughout her life. While designing jewelry for the Barrera brand, Larisa also created her own brand of intricate jeweled collectible evening handbags and evening garments by special order for boutiques and special clients. Larisa gained fame as the preferred designer for red carpet stylists, creating custom handbags to match the gowns. Larisa, now a torchbearer of her family's legacy, is forging her own path while honoring the traditions that shaped her continuing the work of her family in jewelry while expanding her brand into ready-to-wear designing and producing special capsule collections.

 Larisa attended Rhode Island School of Design. Throughout her time at RISD, she would return to work in the family business during summers and vacations. During the summer of 1990, Jose was requested to design jewelry for Vanity Fair Magazine for a story on  Cher.  Because of time constraints on Jose, Larisa designed and assembled the iconic necklace which ended up being featured on the 1990 Vanity Fair cover. This increased her excitement in creating beautiful special pieces of artistic jewelry.

  After graduating from RISD, Larisa was hired at the fashion house of Badgley Mischka where she worked for three years as a design assistant to Mark Badgley, designing the beadwork and purchasing fabrics for their beautiful, beaded gowns. In 1996, Larisa rejoined the family jewelry business as a co-designer alongside her father Jose, helping her parents to grow their family business.
A new business is born: Introducing Larisa's Modern Vintage Bags ....

Woman in a sheer floral top and satin burgundy gown walking on a red carpet at a formal event.

Halle Berry carrying Larisa Barrera custom made handbag the year she won her Oscar at the Academy Awards 2002

Larisa combined her expertise in jewelry design with the experience she gained in her time in fashion particularly in the realm of beautiful hand-applied beaded fabrics . Larisa had always been a collector of vintage treasures. However, it was the request of Dawn Mello, the esteemed fashion director of Bergdorf Goodman, that truly set Larisa on a path of creating something uniquely enchanting. With a firm determination to revive the techniques used for crafting handmade evening bags of the past, Larisa embarked on a mission to infuse a modern twist. Instead of simply replicating the antiquated designs, she began by conceptualizing her own patterns, giving birth to entirely new bag shapes that were both nostalgic and fashion-forward.

A woman and man dressed in denim outfits, smiling and posing for a photo at an event.

Britney Spears carrying a custom Larisa Barrera handbag and Jose and Maria Barrera jewelry with Justin Timberlake at the VMA's - The finishing touches for the iconic denim and diamond outfit

Larisa and Jose designed and fabricate the frames for the bags in-house at their  NYC jewelry factory. These frames were unlike anything seen before - unique and special, just like the bags themselves. Adorned with jeweled clasps meticulously fashioned to reflect the intricate details in the beadwork, the frames became an integral part of Larisa's vision. Completing the bags are the matching beaded handles, meticulously woven to perfection. Larisa gained fame as the preferred designer for red carpet stylists, creating custom handbags to match the gowns. Larisa’s handbags sold at Bergdorf Goodman NY, Neiman Marcus stores nationwide, specialty stores across the country as well as in Russia, France, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia

Today, Larisa continues that legacy under her own name. The Larisa Barrera with the  LCB ® hallmark is her own jewelry collection — designed, hand-fabricated, and produced using the same techniques and standards she learned over decades in the family business, now shaped into her own aesthetic. The original Jose and Maria Barrera collection remains available at joseandmaribarrera.com; Larisa Barrera is where she creates today, in her own name, on her own terms.

View some other Iconic milestones Larisa was a part of in photos below.