Nora Alexander & Maie Webb are the dynamic duo behind Noon Designs

Kindred spirits, Nora Alexander, a distinguished jeweler, and Maie Webb, an artistic wedding invitation and paper goods designer, met at the Rhode Island School of Design and ended up on a similar path. “We moved to California together, met our husbands, and were in the same place at the same time, then we started Noon Designs,” explains Nora.

While inspired by the wild nature of California, being East Coast girls, both need to travel back there for a jolt of city life. “My jewelry follows simple lines like those of buildings and furniture with a modern style, while Maie is into patterns, fabrics, and textiles that are more traditional,” declares Nora. “So many people warned us not to have a business together since we are best friends, but we don’t fight. We are good at communicating. We could have done it alone, but we need each other to bounce around our creative ideas.” Clearly, these two have good synergy as they have expanded into a second location in Solana Beach in addition to their flagship store in Ocean Beach. noondesignshop.com

—Ann Wycoff