Hi! I'm Dana.
The spark began at age eight, and it never stopped shining.
RetroStarr was built from instinct, obsession, and a lifelong eye for what endures.
It started at a folding table in Florida, when Aunt Nan told me I could pick a piece from her display of vintage jewelry. I was eight. I chose the pearlescent lucite necklace you see above, with matching clip-ons — and I’ve been chasing that spark ever since.
That moment launched a lifelong obsession with design that carries weight and beauty that lasts. I’ve co-founded Denver Modernism Week, served on historic preservation boards, restored a 1960s A-frame cabin, and built a personal jewelry collection that spans decades of bold, iconic design.
Over time, I became a collector, a curator, a treasure hunter, and a keeper of stories. RetroStarr is the natural next chapter — shaped by instinct, memory, and reverence for what endures.
That first necklace still lives in my jewelry box. The sparkle hasn’t faded. Neither has the feeling.
Built to Last. Meant to Be Found.
When I’m sourcing, I’m looking for more than beauty. I want that feeling. The quiet jolt. The instinct that says, this one has a story.
I look for pieces that speak to both the moment and the long view. They might echo what’s rising in vintage right now — bold gold, moody stones, sculptural shapes — but they hold their own far beyond the trend. RetroStarr pieces have to feel rooted and relevant. They need presence. Craft. Energy.
That’s what I call the spark test. If it doesn’t move me, it doesn’t make it in.
Every piece earns its place. That’s the thrill.
Each Piece, a Chapter. Each Wearer, a Rewrite.
My collections draw from the geometry of Art Deco, the sculptural drama of Retro, and the sleek boldness of Midcentury modern. I look for designs that hold weight. Style that sparks memory. Shapes that invite a second look — and a longer pause.
Each piece carries history, but it’s not frozen in time. It was made to be worn now. To anchor a look. To shift a mood. To start a new story on the body it finds next.
That’s the RetroStarr aesthetic.
Timeless. Intuitive. Unapologetically present.
Where Instinct Meets Expertise.
RetroStarr is rooted in emotion, memory, and meaning. I’ve always believed jewelry holds power — not just because it sparkles, but because it connects us. To people. To place. To the parts of ourselves that feel the most alive.
My eye has been shaped over decades. I’ve studied vintage design and jewelry for more than 30 years through deep personal collecting, research, and reverence. My archive of midcentury costume jewelry has taught me how to recognize quality, trace design influences, and understand what makes a piece endure.
That hands-on knowledge now lives alongside formal training. I hold a Graduate Diamonds certificate from GIA and am currently completing my final coursework to become a Graduate Gemologist. Every piece I select comes from study, experience, and a sharp sense of what deserves to last.
RetroStarr is powered by instinct, expertise, and the belief that what we wear reflects who we are becoming.
Worn well. Remembered always.
