THE MAD COWBOY : Meet The Founder Irina Nesterenko

Bold, witty, and wildly original, THE MAD COWBOY breaks away from the ordinary. Designer Irina Nesterenko created the brand to celebrate playful rebellion and sculptural style. She draws on her background in 3D design and her love for the absurd to craft accessories that stand out not blend in.

Each piece speaks louder than a logo. Irina designs for confident, curious women (and not only) who see accessories as small works of art. These creations carry attitude, irony, and soul. Picture baroque shapes with a modern twist, ancient ruins colliding with plastic toys, and earrings that spark stories.

Sustainability stays at the heart of THE MAD COWBOY. Irina 3D prints every piece using eco-friendly PLA — a biodegradable, corn-based material. She models, prints, assembles, and finishes each item by hand, at home, and only when ordered. This process avoids stock, cuts waste, and supports thoughtful fashion.

Take the black baroque bag — it looks like it escaped from a cursed palace. Or explore the Mix&Match charms, designed to let you build custom jewelry from modular parts. With THE MAD COWBOY, Irina transforms bold design into a conversation and proves that fashion can be both sustainable and fun.

Who do you design THE MAD COWBOY for?

At people who don’t want to blend in — bold women (and not only) who love objects with personality, who treat accessories like art and who choose pieces that speak louder than logos.

It’s for confident, unapologetic women who want to stand out, not be basic — but who also care about the planet. Sustainability is one of the core values of my brand: all pieces are 3D printed from eco-friendly, biodegradable PLA, proving that bold design and responsible choices can go hand in hand.

What’s the brand’s bias?

Playful rebellion. We mix baroque shapes with modern boldness, fashion with sculpture, and style with sustainability. Nothing about The Mad Cowboy is minimal — and that’s the point.

I love 3D forms, volume, and attitude. Every piece is designed to feel like a small piece of art, not just another pair of earrings. It’s about creating objects that make a statement and invite conversation.

Where does the brand name ‘The Mad Cowboy’ come from?

I’ve always loved the aesthetics of the Wild West, but The Mad Cowboy isn’t about a standard, romanticized vision of it. It’s a reinterpretation with attitude, irony, and boldness. Not every girl would dare to wear earrings shaped like a male torso — but a THE MAD COWBOY girl would. She’s fearless, playful, and always a little unexpected.

How do you make your products?

All pieces are designed by me in Blender 3d and printed on a home 3D printer using sustainable PLA, a biodegradable, corn based material. I print each item to order, assemble and finish it by hand. No stock, no waste, just intentional, small-scale production.

How long does it take you to make a bag? Earrings?

The full process starts long before printing. I begin with deep visual research, gather references, and sketch concept models in 3D. Then I print test prototypes and refine the shape until I’m happy with the result.

For bags, the printing itself takes about 8 hours, plus another couple of hours of hand-finishing. But the development process can easily stretch over several days.

For earrings, printing takes 30–45 minutes, but the design phase can take up to 2 weeks — especially since I always test-wear new pieces myself before releasing them.

What is your inspiration for the bags and earrings?

Architecture, ruins, ancient treasures, plastic toys, and people who dress like walking metaphors. I love mixing something precious with something absurd.

I’m also deeply inspired by retro aesthetics, vintage fashion shows, old school ad campaigns, iconic movie costumes. There’s something magical about the boldness and drama of the past, and I love reimagining it through 3D forms.

Do you like to match your earrings? If so, what are your favourite earring combinations?

I love mixing and mismatching earrings, it’s part of the fun! One of my favorite combinations is from my Rise & Ruin set: one earring is shaped like a broken ancient column, and the other is a perfect, untouched one. I like when jewelry tells a little story and feels a bit off-balance.

How did you come up with the idea for the Mix&Match collection?

I wanted people to play. Jewelry can be fun, not just beautiful.

I also don’t love the culture of overconsumption, I wanted to create something modular, flexible, and long lasting. I travel a lot, and it’s just not practical to carry tons of different accessories with me.

So I designed a system: simple base links that can be used to create earrings, necklaces, or bracelets, depending on how you combine them. To go with those links, I created a set of versatile charms that can be mixed and swapped, so you can create your own custom piece each time you wear it.

You only need to buy the base once and then, if you feel like switching things up, just add new charms. It’s like a little design toolkit you wear.

If you had to choose just 1 piece from any collection of The Mad Cowboy Brand , which would it be?

The black baroque bag. It looks like it escaped from a cursed palace — I love it.

In a world full of copy-paste trends, THE MAD COWBOY stands out proudly, loudly and sustainably. Irina Nesterenko proves that bold ideas, smart design, and eco-conscious choices can live in perfect harmony. Her work is more than fashion. It’s a playful act of rebellion, wrapped in baroque curves and sculptural charm.

Want more ? Take a look at the interview : Flamenco Noir : Interview with Photographer Heidi Niemala