In another of our regular interviews with designers that are making their mark, we talked to Gia Belloni Founder and Creative Director of British luxury jewellery brand Gina Belloni.
Before completing her degree in Fashion Jewellery from the Sir John Cass in 2010, Gia gained experience in interior
designer and photography. ‘I have always enjoyed creativity. Since leaving
university, I have been constantly absorbing new skills’ . This includes being
qualified in CAD level 1,2 and advanced.
Here Gia tells us her story, and the different aspects of
running a creative business in the fashion industry.
When did you decide
to start your own jewellery brand and how did you come to that decision?
My
jewellery brand grew from my initial interest in making unique, one off pieces
of hand fabricated jewellery incorporating gemstones. I then realised that learning goldsmithing & design professionally would suite me in so many more
ways. After finishing the degree at
university, I began to realise this could be the career path I wanted to take. I later attended The Goldsmiths ‘Getting Started’ course, where I formulated a more cohesive plan to begin this journey. Research and commitment are key ingredients
in starting your own business, knowing your own strengths and weaknesses and
realising what you enjoy doing most. My ideas for the future are numerous, but
one step at a time is the way forward.
How did you get to
the point you are at now?
This
question really makes me realize how much I’ve been doing! I began by looking at my
design process and researching the market.
Starting any new business means taking on many
roles which you are not necessarily familiar with. Jewellery is no
exception. A lot of research, a lot of contact growing and a huge amount of
learning about materials and production, manufacturing, marketing and PR all
have an important role. I’m naturally a worrier, so for me, the journey so far,
has been fraught with worry and concerns. I knew certain things would benefit
me a huge amount, such as CAD, so I put a lot of time and effort into really
learning them and integrating them into my workflow. I would also add
determination to this answer – a lot of determination to realise a vision and
being able to adapt and evolve to what unknowns could be around any corner.
Since you started your business , what has been your biggest achievement ?
I
was very pleased with my ability to learn CAD, this was something I found
daunting in the beginning, so I’m quite proud that I am now proficient with
this technology. Also, my 1st collection was a great achievement.
The combination of creating fine and well made work and getting it to fall
within certain price points is very challenging, so I feel very pleased at the
results. A personal proud moment was selling one of my designs to a Royal!
What was the most
difficult obstacle during starting your own business and how did you overcome
it?
The
hardest part of starting my own business has definitely been the financial
commitment you have to make to it. It is a nerve wrecking thing to throw
everything you have at something. My way of overcoming this has been to research the market and establish a clear direction and strategy and defferentiate between what is essential for growth and what can wait . Another challenge I have found is starting up production. To be
able to consistently provide the same level of quality and value has been very
hard to orchestrate! Trying to create the designs you want without compromising
or simplifying and yet get them to fall within certain price points – this is a
steep learning curve and I don’t expect it will be ending anytime soon! You just have to keep focused, keep pushing and
keep learning as many tricks as possible to reduce costs without reducing
the quality of my designs.
In which business
areas did you receive support?
I
have had some financial support which has been an essential course of action
in order to be able to grow and move in the direction I have planned. A recent
decision was to employ a good PR agency, which involved a big financial commitment.
It wouldn't necessarily suit everyone,
but for me it is an important step.
You stock at online
stores such as Luxxlab, Boticca and jewelstreet. How did you decide which are the right online stores for your brand?
Initially
I was happy to list on quite a few online stockists. However, as things have progressed
I’ve been able to look at the stockists that suit my work more and rationalise my online outlets. I now look for the length of time an online stockist
has been running, how much marketing they put into their store, who they also
stock and the price points available there as well as the overall ‘look’ they
present.
Certain online boutiques are wonderful to work with and I am very glad
to be listed on, it is a fabulous way of reaching a wide audience. Online
boutiques take time to build momentum and a strong client base. The most important
thing I consider is the kind of products the online boutique sells; if they are
very cheap and cheerful then it’s unlikely that customers will be looking for
higher priced items, so I think designers have to consider their market and
stock appropriately.
What advice would you
give to entrepreneurs who plan to start their own creative business?
I love sharing what I’m learning (both what’s
worked AND what hasn’t!). However, everyone is different, so you have to
research your market and what suits your designs and your way of working, what
works for one may not for another.
The jewellery trade is multi faceted, so
there are many different ways of starting in business. If someone wants to create a brand then my
advice is to be very clear about what you want to do and how you work. Ask
yourself many questions and be a ‘devils advocate’. Once you have done this, be
positive. It may sound glib, but believing in yourself and reacting as
positively as you can to everything that comes your way will make all the
difference.
My overall advice would be to try and map out what you would like
to happen and how you can make it happen. Then be ready to have nothing go the
way you thought it was going to go! Think:
BACK UP PLANS! If it all flows as planned, this is amazing, but if you
encounter hurdles, have alternate ways of reaching the desired outcome, then
you can quickly switch to plan b and keep moving forwards. Be determined, take
on board any advice and give it due consideration. Above all, try & be fair
to yourself, we can’t all be born knowing the answer to everything, it takes
time to become more confident in decisions made.
What motivates you?
I've been sent these pictures today by a customer from San Francisco. I was rather impressed with their clean character and it turns out that her friend is a professional photographer and was snapping away all night. I thought they were rather beautiful. It's so nice to hear from happy customers!
Interview by Katja Widder
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