Alison Rouse Launer of Ali Designs started working with beads when she was twelve years old in her hometown of Pittsford, New York. At seventeen, she relocated to Boston, Massachusetts to attend Newbury College as an interior design major. This training inspired Ali’s passion for color and the use of texture in her beadwork. After graduating cum laude, Ali moved to the Caribbean island of Barbados and helped run a photography lab. Her photography experience further inspired her desire to work within the arts.

At twenty two, Ali headed west to Santa Fe, New Mexico. She began making beaded hatbands for Monti Cristi Custom Hat Gallery and jewelry for Spirit Clothing. Her first big commission was beaded draperies for the club house at Las Campanas, a Jack Nicholas golf course and living community. This work is still proudly displayed.
 
For a brief period, Ali went back to the east coast and learned the joy of working with clay. In a studio nestled in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, Ali worked with five other artists teaching and learning different sculpting and glazing techniques.
 
Upon returning to Santa Fe, Ali began stringing jewelry for an international jewelry company. Within six months, she was promoted to designer. She and two other designers created all of the beaded collections for the company. Many of her designs were chosen for catalogs such as Robert Redford's Sundance, coldwater Creek Canyon and Spirit of the West. Designs were also chosen for retail stores such as the Limited, Nordstrom and The Nature Store.  

Ready to take on new challenges, Ali left the company in 1999 to create Ali Designs. Within a few short months, a necklace was chosen to be featured in In Style Magazine and on the morning television show The Early Show. Ali Designs was also mentioned in Vogue magazines December 1999 issue. In Early 2000, Ali worked with a leather and suede apparel company. There she beaded intricate bead patterns for pants, shirts, dresses and jackets. 

Beaded skulls are Ali’s latest passion. They are genuinely a labor of love. Each skull can take anywhere from 40- 80 hours to make. Ali loves every minute of it! To work directly with Ali for a custom designed skull for your own home, please contact the studio.

Ali uses all types of skulls including rams, bulls, buffalo, Texas longhorns and exotic African skulls.