5 Minutes With... Jezebel London

Jezebel London is created with the desire to crystalise the cool side of diamonds and make them the essence of female charisma from day to night. The brand's story routes back to two Turkish students' university years. Meeting at London College of Fashion, Yasmin and Tümay had the same passion and idea, to create luxury jewellery made with diamonds available to all metropolitan women to wear day and night. We spoke to the design duo to get the story behind the brand...

How did Jezebel London begin?

We met whilst studying BA Fashion Management at London College of Fashion. We both shared a passion for jewellery and an entrepreneurial spirit and so decided to launch our brand immediately after graduating. Whilst studying here, we observed that wearing gold and diamond jewellery is a lot more occasional in London compared to Turkey, whereas we are the kind that wears our jewellery from day to bed. So, encouraged by other people's interest in the jewellery that we wore, we decided to make use of our degree and launch our own brand. I believe it was the most courageous move we have ever made.

Have you always been interested in fashion?

Probably yes. To be involved in the fashion industry, you definitely need to have some sort of passion for it, as it is more emotional and creativity based than other industries.

What have been the highest and lowest points on your journey so far?

It was particularly difficult to go through the set-up stages as an e-commerce brand, as it takes longer to show yourself to customers. The highest point for both us, is probably when loyal customers come back to add new pieces to their previous purchases. Retaining them feels like the best reward.

What was the inspiration behind your latest collection?

We love being inspired by the complex character of London. Contemporary, diverse and minimalistic.

Do you ever struggle to stay inspired?

No, but we have our days when inspiration comes and goes.

Where is your go-to meeting spot?

We love to meet at outside places for our meetings. Our favourite spot is the Hoxton Hotel at High Holborn or for a more casual meeting, the Mozzino Café in Soho.

How would you describe your customer base?

Fashion forward and appreciates the value of gold. They also have the courage to be creative with fashion.

Is there anyone you would love to see wearing your designs?

Any celebrity would help, but honestly, our dream is seeing random people in the street wearing our designs.

What are the morals you run your brand by?

For any brand, we believe the customer has the utmost value, which is the way it should be. However, nowadays businesses have become extremely ambitious and forget to create sincere relationships with their business partners and even competitors. Our morals guide us to behave respectfully towards the whole jewellery industry and maintain good relationships with our buyers, suppliers etc. For example, we try to meet for a coffee regularly with our stockists. It always gives inspiration and generates great new ideas!

Do you have a mentor?

Yasmin’s mum. She used to work in the jewellery industry, and we rely on her taste and her commercial eye.

What apps keep you sane?

For both of us, definitely Instagram – we benefit from it a lot for the business as well. Comparably, Yasmin is more actively using apps than me (Tumay). I think she also likes to check Snapchat on a regular basis.

If you could only wear one piece from your collection, what would it be and why?

Yasmin actually designed the Chiltern Ring for herself, but it was so popular we added to the collection. My choice (Tumay) would be the hoops, I am more an earring-person and like to stack different ones on one ear.

What’s the biggest style mistake you’ve ever made?

Neither of us have even dyed our hair yet. I think we play it quite safe and so we don’t have any regrets.

Is there another designer whose work you particularly admire?

Jacqui Aiche, she is always innovative and does a great job in marketing gold jewellery.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever been given?

We have actually learnt this by experience: “to reward yourself and celebrate”. It is always easier to see and focus on the negative comments, and neglect the positive achievements. However, especially if you are a passionate designer/founder, the most important thing is to reserve your passion and motivation. So, do celebrate even the smallest things.

What drew you to Wolf & Badger?

It's cool ambience matches with our brand image and we love the fact that is very creativity-driven.

Where do you see the brand in 5 years?

Our initial aim is to expand our stockists in London and also abroad – such as to fashion forward cities like Paris and New York. We believe to create a loyal customer base until that point who appreciates the value of gold and diamonds and also creative design.