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Meet Asbury Park’s local pop star, Blaise Anthony Lucarelli. When I first met him, I was immediately struck by his exuberant energy and authentic spirit. Blaise was a familiar face performing at local music venues like the iconic Georgies, The Saint and House of Independents. He lived life as his most fabulous self, both on and off the stage. At the time of our Hand Project shoot, his day job was Front Desk Manager and Bridal Coordinator at Lock & Shade Hair Salon right here in town. If you've ever met Blaise, you know there really is no off-stage for this diva.
Blaise was born and raised in Red Bank, NJ and went on to school at the Laboratory Institute of Merchandising in NYC. By the time we photographed him in 2022, he had been in Asbury Park for about seven years and loved the way people and art intersect in this vibrant community. When we talked about what was still on his bucket list, traveling to Japan to experience the culture was right at the top.
One of the things that stayed with me most from our conversation was Blaise's desire to help people realize just how beautiful they are. When talking to him, you really can't help but smile. His magnetic personality is incredibly engaging, and after spending just 30 minutes together, I felt like I could have chatted with him all day. He also talked about wanting his performances to show the endless possibilities of sexual and personal identity.
When I asked Blaise about CMD, he told me he loved the gender fluidity of the designs and the way the jewelry manages to feel futuristic and timeless at the same time. I couldn't have said it better myself. That freedom to make a piece completely your own was a huge part of what I wanted to capture with the Hand Project in the first place.
Blaise's personal mantra says a lot about why he was such a perfect fit for this project: “You don't have to be anything… but you can be everything.” Cheers to that! 🤩 The Hand Project was all about celebrating real people, personal style and the wildly different ways we each make jewelry our own, and Blaise brought all of that and then some.
Thank you so much for being a part of The Hand Project, @blaise86. You’re truly an inspiration.
Much love,
Colleen
© Colleen Mauer Designs. All rights reserved.
Published: June 9, 2022
Updated: August 21, 2026
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