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

Carlye, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What can you share with us about the story behind how you found your key vendors?

I initially wanted to manufacture our luxury Apple Watch bands in either the U.S. or Europe, however, finding the right partner proved to be challenging. Since I was creating a luxury brand, I had very high standards and the materials and craftsmanship needed to be the absolute best possible quality. I had a few starts and stops with some craftsmen in the U.S., but I found the perfect partner in Manufacture Jean Rousseau which is based on Pelousey, France. Jean Rousseau lends Chalonne over 65 years of expertise and its artisanal heritage working with some of the world’s most prestigious luxury brands like Vacheron Constantin and Omega, among many others. Jean Rousseau has always fostered a spirit of innovation and excellence and they were incredibly enthusiastic and supportive of the line from the very start. I think they were intrigued by my unique designs and were excited to take on the challenge.

We continue to work closely together, collaborating to bring my designs to life, like we did with the 14k gold pieces that are incorporated into several designs. It was important to ensure that the jewelry pieces would withstand daily use, so we did extensive research to develop a proprietary technology to lock the jewels inside the lining of the bands. The moment you insert metal into leather, it stiffens, so we spent a lot of time developing a design for the jewelry to ensure it would be strong enough to withstand daily use yet still allow the bands to be as supple and comfortable as possible.

Carlye, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

For my entire life, I’ve always had an artistic mind and a passion for design. I loved expressing myself through drawing and painting and studied art history at the University of Pennsylvania. While I loved the arts, I ultimately decided to pursue advertising – where I could marry my creative side to the reliability of a business career. Although this granted me a breadth of invaluable marketing and strategic business experiences, I always had an inkling I would return to my artistic roots. The moment presented itself when I was taking a respite from corporate life and identified a business opportunity to design luxury Apple Watch bands. The inspiration and thought process for Chalonne emerged organically when I purchased my first Apple Watch a few years ago. I loved my watch and the easy access to all the amazing features and apps, but wasn’t satisfied with the accompanying silicone band. I did some research and couldn’t find any high-quality Apple Watch bands out there. I didn’t want to sacrifice my personal style to sport the latest tech, and I knew other women must have felt the same way. Given that the smart watch market is projected to reach almost $100 billion in sales in 2025 and the luxury goods market will hit nearly $400 billion by 2025, it seemed like fertile ground to carve out a niche. I had been wanting to start my own business for a while and I had so many design ideas in my head. So I decided to solve the problem myself and founded Chalonne.

Today, Chalonne’s luxury watch bands bring elegant style and timeless design to any Apple Watch. Hand-crafted in France, these brilliant bands incorporate the finest leathers, unique gemstones, and solid 14k gold into their stunning designs. Chalonne’s unique pieces adorn the wrists of women who appreciate accessories with uncompromising quality and chic design to complement their personal style. Our commitment to the best possible craftsmanship and innovative design using luxe materials that are ethically, sustainably and responsibly sourced is what makes Chalonne truly unique.

Having worked in the corporate world for many years, I spent a lot of time thinking about Chalonne’s culture and I decided to make female empowerment an integral part of Chalonne’s DNA. My ideal is for Chalonne to help empower women and support them in ways that truly make a difference in their lives. From personal experiences, I knew that I wanted to start with breast cancer research. A friend of mine connected me with the Breast Cancer Research Foundation, who agreed to a partnership very early on. Chalonne donates 4% of all retail sales on Chalonne.com to BCRF. Every donation is one step closer to finding the cure to the disease that affects hundreds of thousands of women in the United States each year and we are proud to help that cause. The ultimate goal is for Chalonne to be successful enough to extend our mission of empowering women, by supporting other organizations who champion physical health, economic and educational opportunities and inner strength of women everywhere.

Have you ever had to pivot?

Having worked in advertising and marketing for nearly two decades, it was incredibly daunting to take the leap, to leave the corporate world and become an entrepreneur. My husband was integral in supporting the decision to pursue my passion and start my own business. He encouraged me to step down from corporate life, focus on being a mom while setting aside time for myself to reset and find the balance that was badly lacking from my life. And it turned out to be exactly what I needed. I was able to hit the reset button, and without the daily pressure, I had the space to be creative. It was during that time that I developed the initial concept that evolved into Chalonne. I am enjoying every moment of my new career and haven’t looked back. My only regret is that I didn’t do it sooner!

Any advice for growing your clientele? What’s been most effective for you?

Although it’s quite challenging to start a company from scratch, with zero awareness, we have found that a multi-pronged approach based on traditional brand building, hitting multiple touchpoints has been the most effective. It’s the combination of efforts that moves the needle—getting in front of customers at different times and places and pulling a variety of marketing levers with the same consistent message. The robust targeting tools available through paid digital advertising have been integral for us to reach a wider audience and increase awareness.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://chalonne.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chalonne.la/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Chalonne.LA
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/carlye-morgan-122200/
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOeGEq_XRXeYJu4uLh_1Q7w