Jewelry designer Roxanne Assoulin: 'I don't want to be an aspirational brand'

Roxanne Assoulin has been in the jewelry business for over 40 years. But, thanks to its reliance on bold colors and youthful designs, her 7-year-old namesake brand feels as fresh as ever. Prior to launching her own brand, Assoulin designed for major brands like Michael Kors and had her jewelry sold in major department stores like Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue.

Her current brand took off thanks to boosts from influencers like Leandra Medine, who happens to be a friend of the family.

“We never paid influencers,” Assoulin said on the latest episode of the Glossy Podcast. “Leandra had dated my son when she, like, 17. She’s best friends with my daughter-in-law. I asked her to come to the office and tell me what she thought of what I was working on, and she took some pictures. I said, ‘Don’t post those pictures anywhere,’ and she said, ‘No worries, no worries.” That night, she posted them.”

The early buzz helped propel the brand, which grew 300% between 2017 and 2018. Now, Roxanne Assoulin is carried by both online retailers like MatchesFashion and brick-and-mortar stores like Nordstrom.

But in many ways, Assoulin said she’s still figuring out where to take the brand next. She characterized herself as a “gut person,” who focuses on her own creative sense to help guide the business through challenges like the pandemic and the current decreased spending caused by inflation. For this week's Glossy Podcast, she spoke with Glossy editor-in-chief Jill Manoff about this philosophy, as well as her work with influencers, her history in the business and the inspiration behind her colorful jewelry.