Only five years have passed since its launch in 2016 and its designs have become a must for all fans of the universe of jewelry. But in reality the history of the Spanish firm Ariane Jewels goes back years. "Ariane Jewels has always been a dream in my mind since I was 14 years old," explains Ariadna Albero, the founder of the brand, to S Moda by phone.
With a legion on Instagram that borders on 40,000 followers, for Albero the digital universe and social networks have acted as a clear and indispensable springboard in his development. "Ariane was born thanks to digitization, otherwise it might not have taken place," the businesswoman tells us. It was in her adolescence and when she was only 14 years old, when with an inclination for fashion (and more specifically for accessories) the very young designer launched herself to produce her own bracelets "it was something very innocent, she made bracelets and necklaces with beads and buttons”, he remembers. Coinciding with the rise of the digital universe and the emergence of the blogger world, he started a blog in which he shared his looks accompanied by his handmade pieces: “On my page I had a catalog with my creations linked, I received orders via email and they paid me by transfer ”, he details.
The years passed and Ariadna continued with her hobby from adolescence, but when she got to university she declined to study design, choosing an option that ensured a wider range of possibilities: “I studied psychology because I saw it as impossible to dedicate myself to the world of fashion without a previous name”, he affirms. At the end of her degree, she was hired by a multinational to work in the human resources area, but she never left Ariane Jewels (at that time called Ariadne Albero), which continued to grow organically as the calendar progressed: now on Instagram and with a number of notable number of followers. "They were very hard years, I combined my work as a psychologist with Ariane in my spare time," she says. Because even with a job that provided her with stability and security, she was always clear: “If at that moment they asked me: What would you rather succeed as a psychologist or with Ariane? I did not doubt, I chose Ariane”.
In parallel to the gradual growth of his brand, the jewelry sector was undergoing a transformation with the rise of plated jewelry. “Years ago, any grandmother had a gold ring, necklace or bracelet. I had one and I wore it all my life, I didn't buy one every season”, says Ariadna. This finish would land with the 2008 crisis, changing the paradigm in the sector. “Before the crisis, people bought jewelry, they did not consider buying a plated ring. What was golden was gold and what was silver was silver”, he points out. In this scenario, new brands emerged that bet on coated jewels -such as Aristocrazy, the youngest and most economical firm in the Suárez group-. Faithful to her maxim "step by step" and with the idea of not receiving external investment, Ariadna began to weave her own network of suppliers and design pieces with a marked DNA that differed from the offer of that time. “I wanted that in the future when someone wears an Ariane design, they would know that it was Ariane's,” he explains.
The crucial moment came in 2016, when the designer visualized that her project -and her dream- could become a reality, but it required exclusive dedication. Finally, she decided to leave her job to jump into a pool in which "there was some water, but not much," she jokes. A great step for which he concentrated his forces on promoting Ariane Jewels, a project that had already been in the making for ten years. “My parents now support me in everything, but at that time they asked me: “Are you going to quit your job to make bracelets?” And I thought "I'm 26 years old, if I don't try now, I'll never do it", he confesses.
Proposals by Ariane Jewels. Photo: Courtesy of Arianne Jewels.
The success of Ariane Jewels –which in the last year and in the midst of the outbreak of the coronavirus has multiplied its turnover by three– lies in the timeless nature of its designs and the commitment to transfer accessible luxury to the costume jewelery sector. “The average ticket oscillates between 70-80 euros, because within costume jewelery I have always sought to offer the highest possible quality. Plating a piece with half a micron is not the same as with three. Its cost is higher, but you ensure greater quality and durability”, explains Albero. For the young businesswoman, her designs are aesthetically closer to jewelery than costume jewellery: "The shape, style and finish of many pieces are more reminiscent of gold", she points out. Elegant, timeless designs inspired by the vintage world that places the firm in an independent sphere to the eternal coming and going of trends. “Ariane are jewels related to fashion, but not to trends. Maybe your grandmother had a necklace with giant balls and when you were 15 you wore it because although it was not fashionable, it evoked something related to fashion. It is what the designs of Ariane Jewels seek to convey”, he sums up.
If we close our eyes and imagine the future, the designer positions international expansion as one of her brand's priorities. “We sell more in Spain, but we have seen that our pieces also have a place in Europe due to their daring and different character”, she emphasizes. Currently, Ariane Jewels is present in two physical points of sale: in the Edit 32 store (Valencia) and Sophie & Lucy (Madrid). But although her online sales channel accounts for the bulk of her sales -90%-, she does not rule out creating her own physical Ariane space: for the entrepreneur, traditional stores should not disappear, but evolve. “As humans, we must not lose human contact. I would like to create a space that is closer to the concept of a showroom, in which to offer a closer relationship with the client and a more personalized experience”, he concludes.
Tags: Jewelry|Work
