Here is a selection of features from Attire Accessories magazine.
JEWN UK Founder Nigel Mitchell documents the company's evolution since its inception in 1996, and how's its managing to weather the COVID-19 storm. "I started trading in 1996 as JEWN UK as the agency for Enny Handbags of Italy. Very soon the agency had increased to include brands such as Tommy Hilfiger, Claudio Ferrici and The Bridge. In 2009 I started to work with my father at Sirco Leatherwares with the intention of taking the business over when he decided to retire. However, unfortunately due to him becoming very unwell Sirco was closed down and the brand names were then incorporated into JEWN UK Limited, which kept continuity of trading with retailers and factories.
Having worked as a designer for UK high street brands, Jane Lanario launched Mabel Sheppard to innovate the market... I launched Mabel Sheppard in 2019 after spending over 25 years spent as a handbag designer for UK high street brands. What prompted you to launch the business? I was approaching 50, very unhappy in my job, and left without really knowing what I was going to do. I had been designing gloves for House of Holland alongside bags, and they sold really well. I spotted a niche for quirky designed leather gloves – no-one else was doing this.
Caroline Scott, Founder of Siren Silver jewellery brand, explains how the company connects with its customers thanks to the team's passion for its product. I started my retail shop in London in 1990 after having had a stall at Camden Market in the 1980s, selling my own original handmade clothing range. I travelled to India to buy unusual fabrics and then sourced some silver jewellery to sell. I then went on to make my own designs using gorgeous gemstones – at that time easily available – and found the artisan workshops there very open to making what I wanted. I concentrated on the fantastic natural stones available and even today still sell some of the simple earring styles that I created. The beauty of the natural stones still shines out, and although they are far more scarce, the long-term contacts I have made allow us to continue to get fantastic gemstones.
E-commerce experts Optiseller spotlights five new online trends that will affect all online sellers in 2022...
In the past two years, we have seen e-commerce change and grow to meet the demands of the new COVID-19 world. As we continue into 2022, it is vital for all online sellers to look ahead and plan for what is to come. According to e-commerce experts Optiseller, there are five new e-commerce trends that will affect all online sellers this year. Optiseller experts say it doesn't matter what platform or marketplace you sell on, these trends can and will affect every aspect of selling online in the year ahead.
Chris Johnson from jewellery brand Bluelily925silver tells Attire Accessories about the company's offering...We formed Bluelily925silver approximately five years ago – we wanted to offer retailers a simple, branded, boxed and ready to sell piece of in-expensive silver. We wanted to offer a new brand to the market. Learning along the way to have faith in what we have to offer, and deal with the growing popularity of the brand. A simple white, branded box printed in blue foil, Blue Lily .925 silver.
DEMI+CO Co-Founder and Director Sim Mistry discusses the brand's evolution from a side hustle to full-time business, with stunning jewellery and homewares at the heart of its offering... We had the idea of creating a jewellery brand in the summer of 2018 and after researching and planning, we launched DEMI+CO in early 2019. The business originally started off as a side project, but it slowly grew. We added more products and it became a full time business.
Caroline Reeves, Co-Founder of Reeves & Reeves, talks products, inspiration and the secret behind lasting success in a competitive jewellery market with worldwide competition. When did you start up and why? We started in 2012. We were working together in another jewellery company and for many different reasons decided to go it alone with our focus at first being on wholesale. Combining our jewellery and retail knowledge seemed to make sense to create our new business.
Drawing on her expertise as Retail Ambassador for the National Association of Jewellers (NAJ), Helen Dimmick shares some customer service top tips. During my career as a Retail Managing Director, Consultant and Ambassador for the National Association of Jewellers, I believed I had seen all the highs and lows of the high street environment and could react accordingly. Of course, the Covid-19 pandemic came along and completely flipped this confidence on its head. Despite my 20 years of experience, I have been struck by how completely the last year has shaped retail, not only from the perspective of the retail store owner and sales professionals, but also the mind-set of the average consumer.
Gift Focus and Attire Accessories Editor Louise Prance looks at how even small businesses can play their part in the fight against climate change... At the time of writing, the Cop26 climate change conference has recently wrapped up, and the messages are ringing loud and clear – there is no longer any time to wait to take action. And action is needed from every angle – manufacturers, retailers, consumer, NGOs, and governments. Every element of society has a part to play in keeping the Earth's temperature below 1.5C if we want to protect and preserve our planet for future generations.
Setting up a new business is no easy feat, it takes planning, time and dedication. Once you have made a bit of a name for yourself, have started to build up some brand awareness and a customer base, as well as a comfortable number of sales every month, it's only a matter of time before you start thinking about the next step. In this article, Sara Davies discusses business strategies that will help grow your confidence and grow your business.