ABOUT THE ARTIST 

Jewelry tells stories, from the way that it’s made to the person that’s making it. Queen of the Rodeo, in particular, draws out the heart of its creator and a whole lot of originality. The name of the brand comes from a song by the iconic Orville Peck, describing the act of “pursuing something you love, and even if it’s maybe not as fruitful as you’d hoped, it’s the act of chasing what you love in the face of adversity that’s important.” 

You’ll find both made-to-order staples as well as unique, one-of-a-kind pieces. All Queen of the Rodeo jewelry is created and designed by Fernando Serrano, a Mexican-American queer artist, native to the Sonoran desert. Serrano draws inspiration for this jewelry line from his indigenous heritage, combining traditional metalsmithing techniques with a hit of personal edge and aesthetic. When you purchase a piece from Queen of the Rodeo you are purchasing a truly 100% handcrafted piece by Fernando Serrano, the artist.

“My designs start out as a sketch. I will then break down the components of the design. Deciding which techniques I will apply and in what order. I can execute the design after I’ve figured out the main structure of the piece. Once I am happy with the end result I will make a very small batch of products to test out my market. Some designs will be popular and others won’t be, so it’s nice to be able to recycle the metal and turn it into something that will sell.” 

Originally from the small border town Naco, Sonora, which is known for its border wall running right through both Naco, Sonora, and Naco, Arizona, Serrano always struggled with his bi-national identity. He found the space to let go of these preconceived biases and return to his native Mexico to study traditional metalsmithing. “It was important to me to learn this beautiful skill that is slowly disappearing because of mass production in the jewelry industry. I believe handcrafted items by artisans are the real luxury in life.” 

In short, Fernando Serrano is the Queen of the Rodeo, and you can be too. I want my customers to feel like they are the Queen of their own Rodeo.” Queen of the Rodeo jewelry has been, most recently, worn by Orville Peck, and featured in publications like The New York Times, and Arizona’s Herald Review. 

Customer transparency is everything in this industry, and Serrano strives to keep prices reasonable, and accessible. Art, after all, should be shared. Each Queen of the Rodeo piece is ethically sourced, and thoughtfully made from recycled metals. “As an artist, I want to create beautiful items that people want to wear and feel powerful in without having to greenwash them.” Since starting Queen of the Rodeo, Serrano’s goal has been to bring beautiful, high-quality heirloom pieces of jewelry at an affordable price at the cost of sustainable fair trade. 

Queen of the Rodeo is a one-person operation and has been since its conception. From designing to manufacturing Serrano is in charge of every single moving part of this operation. While Serrano is lucky to collaborate with friends, photographers, and other creatives to get this jewelry out into the world, he still enjoys doing much of it himself. “A lot of makers want to just make and not deal with the other side of business but I love redesigning my website or photographing my products. I need to give myself breaks from the jewelry bench since traditional metalsmithing is a very laborious craft and the body can get very tired from it.”