Beginning again, and again, and again.

Quelokay is on the east side of the Washington Square Park water fountain. She’s dressed in joggers, a sleeveless gray top that reveals spots of tattoos, and intricate face jewelry across her nose bridge and forehead. A customer is looking through the gems and stones on the table spread she takes from park to park. They’re glowing just on their own: each piece wants to be held and loved and worn. But strung together, Quelokay is able to make these intimate and original sculptures she calls jewelry.

“What do you hate being asked?”

Quelokay: Are you a boy or a girl? I get that two or three times a day. I gently tell them I’m a girl, they apologize, I say a line like “I’m sexy in both genders,” they laugh politely, they guilt-buy something. Some people just don’t know. They end up being my biggest clients anyway. It takes away from my cup sometimes, but I come out of it fine.

That is how Quelokay offers defense to those who’ve misgendered her: a finely tuned patience she finds from within.

“When did you come to New York?”

Quelokay: May 13th, 2018. I moved here [alone] with $800, an apartment I was subletting. I had a girlfriend back home I was breaking up with. Very stressful. I was broke because I felt bad about getting my sister tickets on her car. I was like “Fucking park there, who cares,” and I ended up spending 350 of that 800. And then rent was due in a week. I spent the first 2-3 months really struggling, free meals, biking home every day. It was fun, an experience for sure.

When I ask her how she would describe herself, she lights up.

Quelokay: I grew up in Detroit where a lot went down, so I always gravitated to art. It’s my calm place. Now, I run this business with my fiancé’s help, I’m out here by myself. I don’t have cliques, I float through friend groups I keep close. It’s nice. I'm a Sagittarius. We like to travel. I really just try not to judge anyone. I try to give them all the benefit of the doubt, and I don’t let it affect me if they don’t meet my expectations.

The sun is especially bright this April day. We’re surrounded by customers and vendors, students and local TikTok personalities.

I ask how Quelokay's skills as a fiercely independent person helped find communities and friends.

Quelokay: I think I’ve always been a loner that craved community. Acting is very ensemble-based, you know? When you’re in it, you’re in it, and when you’re not it feels like the end of the world. I started doing jewelry and I kinda joined this hippie-commune-vibe. We were doing donation-based haircuts, jewelry-making, food. It was cool but it ended up being kind of a dub, I cared a little bit more than others. When I came into my own, I realized I’m not craving to join a community, I wanted to create one.

Quelokay’s TikTok account quelokaydesigns is a growing and reliable source for vendors, vendor beginners, or even people too shy to make friends. Her account has endless information about her craft, business advice, and relaxed conversation with her followers she calls her Quelocuties.

Quelokay laughs: I started on TikTok for my acting. I can be funny and relatable and I can get a few views. Then I posted me making a joint holder and it blew up. I went from 200 followers to 7,000.

I was going live every day, I was getting custom orders here and there. It was nice! Then 2 weeks ago I was burning palo santo on live – someone goes “that looks like a blunt” – and my live went down. It logged me out, and then it said I’m permanently banned. Setbacks are hard, and unfair, because I’m banned for burning palo santo and white girls are on there talking about shrooms. A sponsored ad. Technology, man. It takes you far and sets you back.

Quelokay: People wouldn’t know [the information she shares] because it’s not easy to access. The language is hard, specifically because I’m dyslexic and I'm trying to read this shit and I don’t really understand it. So now I know, a lot of people don’t, I’m trying to be, like, the business plug! I have no problem giving people advice. I’m a Gemini moon, you know? Talk-y talk-y.

Quelokay was raised by practicing Saneteras, which she names to back up her experience with astrology. Soon after she moved to New York, she downloaded Co-Star and learned her chart.

Quelokay: I try to keep my spirituality pretty gangster, relaxed, chill, you know what I’m saying? Because I get a good mix of super spiritual people, and I vibe with them, but sometimes if you’re too hooy-hooy I’m like…okay. Diving blessings to you too. Grand rising, queen witch… I don’t know. [she laughs] I try to keep it chill. If I’m making a custom and the person is in the middle: they believe in stones but not really someone diving into it, I’ll have a custom form where you can submit pictures of inspiration, your own jewelry that you make…I try to make it fun. I wouldn’t even consider myself spiritual, I'm spiri-chill. Cause I’m always learning.

She stops to reach for my wrist and clips together a newly repurposed bracelet. Before the interview began I handed her a bag of scattered jade beads I had for almost a year.

It went through a series of stories involving love and war and adventure, but today it found itself in the more than capable hands of Quelokay. She smoked them out with palo santo and strung them together with silver wire, each bead secured in place by intricate shapes and lines that reminded me of tree bark. It felt green and happy again.

There’s a book on the table spread with easy, detailed definitions of rocks and gems. A bright and colorful source of information anyone can learn a lot from: the item version of Quelokay.

She speaks with the assuredness of someone who rehearsed her story, but it’s far from it. Quelokay sounds like someone grateful for every moment in her life, never like someone weighed down by it. After we’re done talking about her wedding in August and relationship dynamics, I ask her: “Is there anything you’ve always wanted to be asked?”

Quelokay: I want [someone to come up] to me and go: “I see your talent, and I want to invest.” That’s what I want - “can I invest in you?” is the question I want to be asked! Cause I already know how to do the business part of it, you know? I’m just…waiting for that. I need a rich bitch to believe in me, man. I’m waiting. I’m waiting, I’m waiting.

"Is there anything you want the world to know?"

Queloaky: Hmm…that they don’t have to buy anything from me, that they can simply come up to me and have a conversation. People are scared and I'm lIke, why? I’ll talk your ear off. I’m here. Let me be the plug, the jewelry plug.

Beginning again, and again, and again.

“When did you come to New York?”

When I ask her how she would describe herself, she lights up.

The sun is especially bright this April day. We’re surrounded by customers and vendors, students and local TikTok personalities.

I ask how Quelokay's skills as a fiercely independent person helped find communities and friends.

Quelokay’s TikTok account quelokaydesigns is a growing and reliable source for vendors, vendor beginners, or even people too shy to make friends. Her account has endless information about her craft, business advice, and relaxed conversation with her followers she calls her Quelocuties.

Quelokay laughs: I started on TikTok for my acting. I can be funny and relatable and I can get a few views. Then I posted me making a joint holder and it blew up. I went from 200 followers to 7,000.

Quelokay was raised by practicing Saneteras, which she names to back up her experience with astrology. Soon after she moved to New York, she downloaded Co-Star and learned her chart.

She stops to reach for my wrist and clips together a newly repurposed bracelet. Before the interview began I handed her a bag of scattered jade beads I had for almost a year.

There’s a book on the table spread with easy, detailed definitions of rocks and gems. A bright and colorful source of information anyone can learn a lot from: the item version of Quelokay.

"Is there anything you want the world to know?"

Queloaky: Hmm…that they don’t have to buy anything from me, that they can simply come up to me and have a conversation. People are scared and I'm lIke, why? I’ll talk your ear off. I’m here. Let me be the plug, the jewelry plug.

You can find Queloaky @quelokaydesigns.

written by ethan velez

Beginning again, and again, and again.

“When did you come to New York?”

When I ask her how she would describe herself, she lights up.

​

The sun is especially bright this April day. We’re surrounded by customers and vendors, students and local TikTok personalities.

I ask how Quelokay's skills as a fiercely independent person helped find communities and friends.

Quelokay’s TikTok account quelokaydesigns is a growing and reliable source for vendors, vendor beginners, or even people too shy to make friends. Her account has endless information about her craft, business advice, and relaxed conversation with her followers she calls her Quelocuties.

Quelokay laughs: I started on TikTok for my acting. I can be funny and relatable and I can get a few views. Then I posted me making a joint holder and it blew up. I went from 200 followers to 7,000.

Quelokay was raised by practicing Saneteras, which she names to back up her experience with astrology. Soon after she moved to New York, she downloaded Co-Star and learned her chart.

She stops to reach for my wrist and clips together a newly repurposed bracelet. Before the interview began I handed her a bag of scattered jade beads I had for almost a year.

There’s a book on the table spread with easy, detailed definitions of rocks and gems. A bright and colorful source of information anyone can learn a lot from: the item version of Quelokay.

"Is there anything you want the world to know?"

Queloaky: Hmm…that they don’t have to buy anything from me, that they can simply come up to me and have a conversation. People are scared and I'm lIke, why? I’ll talk your ear off. I’m here. Let me be the plug, the jewelry plug.

You can find Queloaky @quelokaydesigns.

written by ethan velez