About Liane and the butterfly
My Vision
Liane By Design
I have always loved art and craft. Whether I made it, bought it or viewed it, the creation of handmade design and ornamentation is a process that is a key part of me being Me.
And while my designs are not made using traditional metallurgic processes, it is a technique that combines two great artisanal crafts: textile hand weaving and jewelry making, creating a totally unique look. Each stitch is as caringly done by hand, as a textile weaver would do at a loom or a jeweler would at a workbench. I find inspiration from periods of the past: Baroque, Renaissance, Victorian and combine it with contemporary ideas to create jewelry with singular beauty that transcend time. The magical joining of opposites--Ying Yang. |
The Butterfly
Liane Okamitsu

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over,
It turned into a butterfly”--Unknown
This quote has become the spirit of my jewelry business.
In 2003, while recovering from cancer, I was fortunate to participate in a free art therapy class for cancer patients at The Creative Center in New York City. I learned the basic weaving technique that I use today. And since then, I have created more than 100 types of patterns and shapes.
So from an unpleasant and painful passage in my life, a new beautiful and resilient path has evolved—just as the Butterfly, I have evolved.
I am a Butterfly, Liane By Design is my flower, the World is our Garden.
I was born and raised in Hawai'i. Attended Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY
I have been creating jewelry full time since 2009.
Previously, I was a clothing designer for 30 years in New York City.
I now reside in Mililani, Hawai'i.