CHICAGO — Becca Tepper has a good reason for cluttering up the Lake Shore Drive apartment she shares with Justin Cooper, whom she met on "Millionaire Matchmaker."
Tepper recently debuted her own line of jewelry — Becca Tepper Jewelry — which she designs and makes in the Streeterville abode with views of Lake Michigan.
"Justin will come home and there will be things everywhere in the apartment," Tepper said.
Tepper and Cooper had an instant connection since they appeared on Season 7 of the Bravo TV show starring Patti Stanger two years ago. Cooper and Tepper's episode was taped over seven days around Halloween 2013 in California. A mixer was held at Stanger's office, where Cooper picked Tepper from a large pool of women.
A highlight of their date, planned by Cooper, was dinner at a pitch-black restaurant with visually-impaired servers. Cooper is blind in his right eye and wanted to make sure he and Tepper connected on more than just appearances.
Tepper, a California native, has lived with him in Chicago, where he's the Senior Director of Sales for Resonate, since January 2014.
"She has a great talent for fashion and for connecting and networking in the social media realm," said Cooper, 34. "It's been an amazing journey the past few years, her coming from California to Chicago — which is two different worlds — and her not being intimidated by the big city but taking it on and evolving."
Tepper's jewelry line began with rings, but it's transitioned into hip, body, anklet and leg chains. She sells the products online and her body chains last month appeared at their first store — Jolie Femme in Del Mar, Calif.
Chicago's Becca Tepper sells her jewelry online at and Jolie Femme in Del Mar, Calif. [All photos courtesy Becca Tepper]
Tepper spends most of her day either making the jewelry or promoting the products online, many times modeling the products herself. One of her Instagram accounts for just the body chains — @bodychainsbybecca — has more than 35,000 followers.
"I always wanted to wear body chains and could never find them," said Tepper, 25. "It's a growing trend. You see celebrities like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian wearing them, which is awesome."
Cooper and Tepper both said marriage is in their future, but there's no rush. Tepper also is working on a hospitality management degree at Kendall College and will represent Illinois in the upcoming Miss Jetset magazine cover competition.
She said she wants to figure out her career — which might include a future swimwear line — first.
"We're trying to get our lives in order," Tepper said. "We definitely talk about [marriage] all the time. It's going to happen, but I don't think very soon. I don't understand why people rush to get married."
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