We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Kate Stevens. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Kate below.

Kate, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to start by getting your thoughts on what you are seeing as some the biggest trends emerging in your industry

One of the biggest trends we’re seeing in the jewelry industry is permanent jewelry. This is a clasp-less chain that can be attached as either a bracelet, necklace, or anklet and can be worn 24/7 for as long as the person wants to have it on. What started out as a tiktok trend that was introduced to us by one of our employee’s almost 5 years ago, has turned into a huge part of our business. We now offer this service in our 3 stores, at markets, and at private events.

This continues to be a popular jewelry item because not only is it the minimalist design that people love, it’s also a fun experience customers can enjoy with friends or family.

One way we have streamlined this process and made it a little safer is to use a sturdy jump ring to attach the chain, but not solder it, like many other jewelers do. This allows us to help a lot more customers and also gives us the flexibility to adjust the length over time for customers and easily remove it for them if needed.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

After graduating from college, I struggled finding a job. It was 2008 so the recession wasn’t helping, but I also had no idea what kind of path I wanted to take in the Retail / Business world. Luckily, my parents were incredibly supportive and allowed me to live with them while I figured out what I wanted to do. It was the early days of Pinterest so I dabbled in various creative outlets but nothing really held my attention until I saw my friend’s new fork bracelet she had gotten in NYC. I thought it was so cool and unique and decided to try and make one for myself. That’s how my love of jewelry making began. I started to experiment with different techniques (all self-taught from YouTube) and started making jewelry for friends and family. I soon started selling my jewelry at various markets and craft shows and slowly built a following in the Columbus area. I had been operating my business out of my small condo and knew that I was at the point where I needed to hire some additional help and expand my space. I began the search for a studio and came upon a space in downtown Columbus in the Short North Arts District. This became my first studio and store location – we recently celebrated 10 years in that space! Since opening my first store in 2015, I now have 2 other store locations and a new studio space where we make our jewelry, fulfill online and wholesale orders and host events.

When I first began making jewelry, I pretty much took on any commission or custom order that customers wanted – even if it was something I hadn’t made before. The customization aspect in my business has only grown over the years as I started making custom requested pieces for people and then through word of mouth, other customers would want something similar made. This is how our Customization Bar was born where we offer hand-stamped items, custom chain options, our Forever Jewelry, and other pieces we can personalize.

Although customization wasn’t in my initial “plan” when I started Red Giraffe Designs (RGD for short), it has become an integral part of my business and one of the most fun aspects about Red Giraffe. Even in store now, not only do we have our Customization Bar, but we will customize almost anything in our stores to suit our customer. Chain lengths adjusted, beading or texture added, an element taken away – we work with customers to create something they will truly love.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

2020 was a difficult year for most people but it’s the year I will always look back on and will forever be grateful that we made it through. The beginning of the year I started out full of hope. I had just given birth to my first baby and we had just had our most successful year yet as a business. However, Covid happened and everything changed. The small maternity leave I was giving myself ended overnight, I had to let go of 85% of my team, and my Mom was battling Cancer in what would be her final year with us. I’ve always considered myself to be determined and fearless when it comes to my business, but with so many unknowns and most things being outside of my control, I felt helpless, overwhelmed and full of fear.

My small team and I worked our butts off to keep the business afloat until we were able to re-open our shops and bring back some of the team. Even with having the stores back open, Covid had lasting effects and it took a few years before we really got our footing back. Our resilience in navigating the unknowns and pushing through even when we were unsure what would come the next day got us to where we are today. We had to pivot countless times but we survived and are now better than ever.

Okay – so how did you figure out the manufacturing part? Did you have prior experience?

When i first started selling jewelry my items were 100% handmade or vintage. I didn’t have a ton of jewelry making knowledge in the beginning, so most of what I was selling were items that all looked very similar. As my business grew, I wanted to have more of a variety of products, so I started sourcing other items from other makers or manufacturers so I had a full line of products. I still source from other manufacturers today, but about 75% of our product line is still handmade by us.

As a jewelry maker, I learned over the years that with jewelry and materials, you really get what you pay for. In the beginning I was using a lot of brass pieces and chains, but saw that they could easily tarnish or would irritate some people’s skin. Now, many of my items are made with sterling silver or gold filled materials which are long lasting and suitable for most people’s skin. With all of our jewelry items, quality control is incredibly important to us. We check and double check all of the little rings and clasps to ensure they are closed and functioning properly, and all handmade jewelry is inspected for any imperfections.

Finding quality materials is something we’ve worked really hard at over the years and we are always looking at how we can improve our manufacturing processes to ensure our items will last for years.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.redgiraffedesigns.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/redgiraffedesigns
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/redgiraffedesigns

Image Credits

Image Credits: Red Giraffe Designs and Erika Gene Clark