For over a century, northern New Mexico has lent inspiration to countless artists. Creatives– both fledgling and seasoned (the most famous of which range from D.H. Lawrence and Georgia O’Keeffe being among the most famous) – have long found themselves seduced by the inimitably airy climate and breathtaking landscape. Combined with a laid-back lifestyle, the High Desert region, which includes Santa Fe, Taos and Albuquerque, proves a potent mix.

Thus, it’s no surprise Santa Fe-bred, NYC-based designer Anna Sheffield finds every excuse she can to return to her Southwestern roots. Unfortunately, opportunities are increasingly rare as Sheffield, who won the fashion world over with her jewelry line Bing Bang (which earned her collaborations with the likes of Marc Jacobs), has since expanded her empire to include a higher-end namesake jewelry line, as well as a more recently launched collection of handbags. She’s one busy brunette, but, fortunately, after we caught up with the designer to discuss High Desert, she booked a flight home in honor of her upcoming birthday. Here, she divulges the best of High Desert:

What’s your favorite thing about High Desert?
It's at a high altitude, so what you have is a very beautiful combination of desert-- big cacti, tumbleweeds and sagebrush-– and mountains. [The mountains] blend in with the desert, so you have these beautiful areas where you have mesas that feel like big flat-topped mountains. It’s like being on top of a tabletop. There are a lot of different geological volcanic formations; activity similar to what you see at Brice Canyon or the Grand Canyon.

Is it safe to assume New Mexico has lent inspiration to your jewelry lines?
I grew up there, so inadvertently, I’ve always been inspired by the Native American [influence]. When I was a child, we lived on the Navajo reservation. What’s prevalent in that community is that it’s a very jewelry and craft-driven culture. I was inspired more by the artisan influence and the techniques. To me, the inspiration has been more about the craftsmanship and less about the aesthetic. With Bing Bang, there is evidence of the maker. Every single piece feels a little different because it’s been assembled by hand.

What are some of the most picturesque places in High Desert?
One of the most beautiful things to look at is the Rio Grande Gorge in Taos. It’s one of the most spellbindingly beautiful places in the world. When you drive up into the mountains from Santa Fe, you start out in more flat land; as you drive north, you start to drive up in elevation and it feels a little bit more mountainous. There’s water there, and tall leafy trees. You can find rivers and creeks. As you inch your way towards Taos you start to see the mesa tops and mountains in the distance. You’ll come to this huge gorge, which the Rio Grande has carved out of this landscape. It’s epic. There’s a beautiful bridge like the bridge in Natural Born Killers where she throws off her veil. You can get out and hike down to these beautiful hot springs. It’s the most spectacular view.

What are some of your favorite places to shop?
In Taos there are two totally disparate but amazing places. El Rincon is one of the oldest trading posts in Taos. It’s been family-run since 1909, now run by the grandson of the woman that opened it. He’s goofy and so nice; you end up talking to him for hours. They have all of this beautiful Indian jewelry, rugs, and one-of-a-kind stuff. In the back of the shop, they have a museum of things their family has collected. They have relics from all different kinds of Indian tribes-- museum-quality stuff. Another place I love is, oddly enough, in the shopping plaza. The Maison Faurie is an antique shop owned by this French guy. He imports from France. It’s also kind of like a museum. He has beautiful jewelry; I’ve bought so many estate pieces. He also has a collection of oddities-- prosthetic arms from a WWI fighter pilot, chastity belts, and beautiful reliquaries that old Catholics collected. Those are two of my favorite places in the world to get inspiration.

You studied fine art before pursuing jewelry design. What galleries or museums are must-sees for you?
I think the most obvious places, like the Georgia O’Keeffe Museum, are actually really spectacular. And Canyon Road - it’s sort of like Chelsea [in NYC]. It has a lot of contemporary art galleries - some of them have beautiful art, some are more derivative, but the walk is worthwhile. SITE Santa Fe has a contemporary art collection that rivals the Whitney. It’s just beautiful, and they do a lot of interesting shows and retrospectives, like one that I saw with South American art that related to the kidnappings in Latin America.

Is there anything you love getting in New Mexico that you can’t find anywhere else?
The real deal is New Mexican food-- it's a combination of what you think of as Mexican food, mixed with colonial Spanish, mixed with Native Indian cuisine. It’s really beautiful, flavorful, rich food - lots of blue corn. The flavor that’s in everything is chili. There’s a New Mexican chili that’s native - they harvest it every fall and everyone roasts them. The green chili is the absolute flavor. You can go to Burger King and order a Green Chili Burger. Everything is really spicy. There are some great places in Santa Fe - one of the most old-school and amazing New Mexican restaurants is Tomasitas. It’s kind of touristy. It used to be this little dive; it felt like it was in someone’s house. They serve amazing green chili chicken and Sopapilla, which is kind of like Navajo bread. Also, there’s a place called Café Pasqual’s. That food is just amazing - blue corn pancakes and everything that you can possibly think of including green chili hot chocolate.

How spicy do you typically go?
The spicier the better… until my ears ring and I can’t hear.

Is there much of a local music scene?
Actually the Taos Inn, which is one of the oldest inns, is right on the main drag. It’s a beautiful adobe and inside the foyer, which is beautiful New Mexican tile, they have open mic. There’s a Mountain Man thing going on, so there’s kind of an outlaw vibe with harmonica players, banjos, all sorts of random people will turn out and play. It’s a good place to stumble upon and drink margaritas.

Speaking of margaritas, what’s the best way to cool off during the summer?
I like to go to the hot springs, because, even in the summer when it’s hot, it gets cold at night. And when you get in during the day the air feels so much cooler on your skin. Ojo Caliente is an amazing natural hot spring that’s been turned into a spa; it’s spectacular. It’s not really advertised, but little by little all of the hot springs are getting developed. I’d say that or just drink lots of margaritas or Tecates with lime.

What is High Desert’s best-kept secret?
I think I just spilled a bunch of them.

- Alisa Gould-Simon


Go There:
Maison Faurie, 1 McCarthy Plaza, Taos, New Mexico 87571
Tesuque Flea Market in the Pueblo just outside of Santa Fe.
Chimaya, Santurio do Chimayo