Meet Rich Plaza | Music Artist & Jewelry Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Rich Plaza and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Rich, how do you think about risk?
Risk is subjective. Everything has a risk. Every decision or lack thereof, has a consequence. In my life, I’ve realized that there is risk attached to every decision. Whether that is to stay comfortable or dormant in a role you’ve been in for a long time, or to move in a different direction. Risk has been a challenge for me because I have been through so many life changing events, that I savor predictability. However, as I have grown with my brand “The Accent Look,” I’ve realized I am always taking chances. Every time I send an order out, every time I create a new style, it reaches beyond me and is no longer completely under my control and direct influence. I have been met with so much love and support in taking risks with my art and it has motivated me to apply myself more overall. I have been truly lucky to be overwhelmed with loyal clients who give me great feedback, because it gently pushes me to diversify my skill set.

I actually find it really amazing how much of a risk it is to be yourself. As artists we are constantly pushing to show who we are inside, where we have been and where we are going. As a Jewelry artist and a music artist, I am always judged right there on the spot. My rings are critiqued daily as I carry on through the day. As a performer I am judged on stage. It is simply a risk to exist as your best self, so I figure I should take it up a notch whenever I can.

At first, thinking about taking risks was a scary thing for me. But now I am able to see it as a skill that ultimately helps me to grow as an individual. October 2021 actually marks one year of me starting a jewelry business. It has been successful beyond what I really envisioned for myself, so I constantly restate Nike’s very well put slogan “Just Do It.” If you don’t do it, you risk never reaching your highest potential. You risk having regrets, and lingering “what if’s.” It’s really all about weighing the cost of your decisions.

No pressure– but pressure– every moment of the day we are practicing something. We move further and further down a track that has some end. Taking risks is the best way to create new possible ends. It is a way that we can broaden our view of the world. Some things we will never know if we don’t take risks.

I would like to leave you all with some advice. If you’re nervous to start something new, to pick up and old skill, or put yourself out there, write a list of times where you’ve done things a little differently and had a favorable outcome. Write down times you’ve put yourself out there and learned a lesson. And guess what. You are here, alive and well. I am still learning to take my own advice, because when it comes down to the moment to make a choice, it is not always easy. However I am looking forward to the doors that will open in my life as I step into new places.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
My two concentrations in art right now are Music, and Jewelry Designing.

I want to start by saying I’m the realest in everything I do.

In October 2020, I started my jewelry business. I named it The Accent Look as an endearing acknowledgement to my background in music. In music, an accent contributes to the articulation of the performance of a musical phrase. Similarly, jewelry adds a very particular presence to the wearer. My goal is to create jewelry that brings out the qualities that the wearer desires, ultimately helping to create the most accurate portraiture of who the wearer is inside. I want The Accent Look to help everyone tell their stories, to wear their hearts on their sleeves, to add confidence to the wearer. I do this ultimately by creating from my heart and acknowledging how dynamic I am myself. By nodding my head toward the many moods and faces I possess. I am proud to have developed my own style, I honestly have not seen anything else like it. I have gotten where I am today, from the unwavering support of my friends and family. By looking at other artists and how they pursue their passions and how they channell inspiration. I’ve spent a lot of time by myself looking at silver and gold jewelry, modern and antique. Basking in the many flavors and colors of gemstones and crystals, how they are used and made. Eventually all of that becomes a part of you.
I started my business without a business plan. At first all I was concerned about was creating a few styles I could make a million times, and seeing where that takes me. The challenge became figuring out how to package and ship everything. I’ve been lucky to have other business owners and entrepreneurs around me to help me out with that. Then my business took off so quickly I realized I needed better materials that I could obtain quickly, that way I could continue to create without interruption.

My biggest challenge right now is working in person. I am currently a Director for an after school program, which takes up my whole day. Thanks to the pandemic I was able to sit down and spend a lot of time diving into a new skill. Now that I am back in person working, my new challenge is to make the best of the time I have and make the process of learning and mastering doubly efficient, until it is all I am doing.

I mentioned earlier that I have a background in music. All of my Gospel, Jazz and Funk influences from my early years have eventually poured out of me in the expression of rap. I love hip hop. I have been a music artist since 2013, and I have a single out called “Forbidden Yute”, a handful of features, and an EP on the way. I possess the unique ability to be a skilled lyricist, a conscious storyteller, in the form of catchy, modernized styles. As a woman in Hip Hop, I am inspired by personality, presence, beauty and intellectuality. You’ll see me constantly gesture toward Eartha Kitt, Diana Ross, Cicely Tyson and Lauryn Hill in my approach. I have a responsibility to tell it how it is. Art is about being true to yourself. Art is about taking off the filters and having an honest conversation with yourself. It is about examining yourself, being open to change, and standing your ground. My brand (and by that, I mean me, my being and presentation as a whole) is unique because I can guarantee a consistent flow of purpose toward knowing oneself, bettering oneself, and positively impacting the world.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite go-to restaurant is Coppelia. Its a cuban restaurant on 14th st and 7th avenue in the city. They make the BEST nachos in the world, and they have amazing mojitos. I’m serious about the nachos though. I first tasted them a handful of years ago and wretch at the thought of getting nachos from anywhere else. I am a big walker, so the Highline is a great place to walk and talk.
Domino park is a great place to walk down, if you like water views.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
I have amazing friends who motivated me by pursuing their own dreams. Thank you to the brave, astounding souls in my life. Is it crazy to name them all? Thank you to my family for being the founding rock in my existence. Shouting out God for always showing me that giving myself grace is best thing I can do.

Instagram: @imthatrich @theaccentlook

Facebook: The Accent Look

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOLK2lFxwjVG9M78e5AqI3g

Other: https://www.buzzfeed.com/taylor_steele/clothing-beauty-products-black-american-princess

Image Credits
@bngca @dudettestyles @sydnumbuhfive (Sydney Plaza)