Born in Japan, but now living in New York City, sisters Noriko and Akiko Sugawara design and create jewelry under the brand N+A. Inspired by both urban and natural environments, their design process reflects the designers’ personal observations of subtle, often overlooked details. The textures of rocks and leaves, random sidewalk cracks, old architectural elements, and the bare tree branches of winter have all served as inspiration points for various designs. The end result of the design process is striking yet highly wearable jewelry, infused with a Japanese sensibility that is both modern and organic.