A Madison shop selling jewelry welded onto the wearer pops up at Hilldale for the summer

Jan 18, 2024

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, discusses the various products she selling this summer at her pop-up Hilldale Shopping Center storefront. The shop sells jewelry that is permanent as it is welded onto the wearer. Lederman's store has a big following on social media and online as well.

A Madison entrepreneur who makes and sells permanent gold jewelry that has no clasps and is welded onto the wearer has opened a pop-up storefront at Hilldale Shopping Center that will be there through July.

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, said her business launched in February 2022 because she wanted permanent jewelry of her own, but couldn't find any local makers or businesses that made or sold such wares, which have been a growing fashion trend in recent years, she said.

Kien Ma, owner of Yue-Wah Oriental Foods, talks closing down and how much he will miss his customers.

Willow & Weld's pieces are made of 14k gold chains that Lederman sources from a distributor in the southern U.S. The jewelry is durable and meant to withstand harsh conditions, she said. If a piece breaks, it can be welded back together. The pieces can be welded to the wrist, ankle, neck or finger.

The chains are displayed throughout the storefront, the former location of Peloton, which Lederman said are named after some family members. Prices for the chains range from $199-289. The shop also sells candles, tote bags, books, earrings and other gifts from fellow local artisans.

Libbi Fletcher, Willow & Weld employee, shows how the shop's jewelry is welded onto the wearer.

A stay at home mom in early 2022, Lederman with her business background decided to buy a machine called a pulse arc welder and teach herself how to weld some gold chains she bought. She experimented with the machine, which uses electrical energy to create a plasma discharge that melts metal in a small spot, for a month until she got the hang of it.

Lederman soon started popping up individually at stores throughout Madison to market Willow & Weld and show off her welding skills. She has also had a presence at the Madison Night Market, among other city events.

Kassie Lederman, owner of Willow & Weld, shows some of the shop's product.

Pop-up shop employee Libbi Fletcher, one of four temporary storefront employees, showed how the pulse arc welder works on a customer one Tuesday afternoon. Fletcher used tweezers to position pieces of a gold chain together before welding them with a loud crack and singular bright spark. The process is safe for the wearer, Lederman said, who trains her employees herself. She has another permanent staff member in the Milwaukee area.

The shop's Instagram now has 8,000 followers and a huge general online following – enough to gain the attention of Hilldale Shopping Center, who approached her about the pop-up storefront, she said, adding that "I was speechless."

"The storm will abate, and the sun will rise again."

That was a quote I read recently. It's was written by a renowned psychiatrist who actually practices locally.

It's hard not to get caught in the throes of all the headlines and wonder what the world is coming to. Even for me – an anxious and introverted pessimist-who-is-secretly-an-optimist with high hopes that, while the world may seem bleak at times, things will eventually get better.

There are still pockets of joy even in the deepest pits of fire.

I never envisioned that my journalism career would entail weathering an ongoing pandemic whose affects are likely to be felt for decades to come. For one story this year, I drove for miles as cars lined up outside a pharmacy waiting for a COVID-19 test amid a shortage caused by the omicron variant.

Eventually, that shortage eased. And more is now known about the once mystery virus that had everyone fearing an apocalypse was imminent.

Soon after, with a colleague and friend, we highlighted the problems plaguing Wisconsin's childcare industry as exacerbated by pandemic.

Since then, various organizations have sought ways to better support parents and providers with more work to be done. Sometimes, it takes work to make things better.

I covered the city of Madison's effort to better support businesses owned by people of color last spring. I recall one of my sources texting to tell me I had created "art" once the story published. Efforts continue.

Additionally, I wrote about how a local uptick in unionization rates (that's continuing by the way) was reflective of a national trend, and how the Dane County employers were jumping on the bandwagon to support workers with children despite no federal guidelines for doing so.

There are still no federal guidelines in December 2022, but the story did inspire a well-written column by the Wisconsin State Journal's editorial board.

Solving some problems may have to start with new knowledge and awareness, just like storms always start with lightning, and then cracks of thunder.

The clouds always pass with time. And the sun comes out again.

That's my personal theme for 2022. Enjoy the below collection.

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Emilie Heidemann is a multimedia journalist for the Wisconsin State Journal. She covers the economy and housing in the Madison area.

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