Attire Accessories - Sep/Oct 2018 (Issue 72)

98 Grand plans Christin Ranger has big plans for overseas development for her business, Christin Ranger Jewellery, believing now is the time to adapt to a new retail marketplace Christin Ranger Jewellery started about eight years ago and rebranded in 2015. My husband, Stephen, had two silver shops in Seville, and I was a freelance illustrator. When the economy collapsed, we relocated to the UK, where I studied jewellery making and started designing our own collection. We work with artisans in Thailand and Bali, who do the actual production – their work is lovely. We have always taken the boutique approach and worked with several lines at a time. This offers our clients a one-stop experience. The two- tone silver florals and the classic semi-precious stone lines were our first. We started out online and began selling wholesale in 2016. The biggest challenge starting out without a shop is how to get your brand to the customer. We experimented with various formats of advertising in several magazines. We focused our market and targeted the magazines that continually got the best results. Selling wholesale allows shops to push your brand further. I am American, Steve is English and our history in Seville adds to the story behind the brand. Everybody likes a story. I also believe that personal service is valued by our customers, and our market is very loyal. We started doing retail shows about three years ago, and it allows us a first hand experience with the customer. Here we can adjust prices and see what pieces are selling or not. This information is useful for our wholesale customers. We work with Country Living Fairs, Spirit and the RHS. We have exhibited at Top Drawer, Harrogate Home & Gift and IJL. “The biggest challenge starting out without a shop is how to get your brand to the customer.”