We recently connected with Jessie Dib and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Jessie thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?

It all began with my passion for clothing design at a very early age and my desire to create something truly unique at a later age. For my senior fashion show, I incorporated jewelry into the garments in a geometric, minimal, and bold way, but it was not then that I thought about having a jewelry business. I still wanted to get experience in the fashion world and worked with renowned designers such as Vera Wang, Alejandro Ingelmo, Elie Tahari, Gap, Uniqlo, and Banana Republic. I wanted to learn as much as possible from the industry, and it was all focused on clothing at the time.

I was working with Angle Sanchez, a Venezuelan fashion designer when he asked me to design a jewelry collection for his upcoming fashion show featured in Mercedez Benz fashion week. It was an incredible opportunity, and I was honored that he allowed me to show what I had as a designer. Angel knew I had worked on jewelry from a very early age with my father as a father/daughter hobby and small business, but our designs were very different from what I was about to create and what would take the leading role of our business.

Angles’ Designs were exquisite, elegant, and timeless; he was inspired a lot by architecture and shapes which I was as well. Knowing this, I took my pencil to a notebook and sketched some ideas. They were geometric, sharp, minimal, and inspired by architecture and geometry. At the same time, I had to think about what materials I wanted to use, and I knew I wanted something modern and different; I thought of Acrylic and rubber, two elements used within architecture and not typical or prominent in jewelry design. Angel loved it, and with his approval, I proceeded to go material scouting and developing ideas. I spent days going into shops, meeting people, and finding suitable samples to show Angle and give him an idea of what I was visualizing. When I presented that, he loved it and asked me to move on to execution, so we did.

During the execution phase, being the first time I was working on these designs, there were a lot of challenges, errors, and mistakes, but each one taught us something new that set us on a path to improve the design. The Final designs for the fashion show were not perfect and definitely not sellable to the public, but they did the job ok, looking fabulous on a runway. We ended up creating cuff bracelets that were made out of Car foam, yes, the same foam which is used for car modeling and painting them with car paint; I worked with my brother, who is part of the Dib Studio team and an industrial designer on these designs and they came out fantastic! These days these bracelets get requested for Editorial shoots. We never got around to producing them for sale, but it’s never too late.

Once the show was over, Angel sat with me and told me he thought I had something very special going on here and that I should focus on turning this into a business, so I followed his mentorship, and I started The Dib Studio in 2012. After years of working in the fashion design industry, I realized there was a gap in the market for high-quality, customizable jewelry products that were modern, bold, unisex, and functional, allowing the customers to feel comfortable and at the same time, we say to “Play with their Dibs,” allowing them to style the Dibs as they wanted.

The next step was to conduct extensive market research to understand our target audience and their needs. We analyzed customer preferences and trends in the jewelry and home decor industry and used this information to guide our product development process. Once we understood our customers’ needs, we began to develop our product line.
We sourced the highest quality materials for our design type and created our prototypes of the products. Everything you see in the Dib Studio is handmade and produced 100% by a member of the Dib Family. We like to keep the business small because we offer a direct relationship with our clients. We sent the product to friends and family and had them wear it and tell us how they felt wearing their Dib Jewelry. All the feedback was positive, encouraging us to be on the right path. We had trunk shows and mini-events at friends’ houses, and all our friends supported us from the beginning; that was a big step! Thanks to all that support, we could keep going and growing.

During that time, we worked on building our brand identity and developing our marketing strategy. We created a website that showcased our products and allowed customers to customize and purchase them online. We also established social media profiles, got into the legal side, and created a company and all that greatness. Then one day, we started getting emails from the press and stylist organically, and our Dibs were featured in Elle, Vogue Brazil, Cosmopolitan, Vanity Fair, and many other features. Artists like Tyra Banks wore our pieces on America’s Next Top Model. It was like a fairy tale come true, and it all happened so quickly within a year or two since we started.

As we prepared for an official launch, we faced many challenges, such as securing funding for materials and growth and navigating the complex legal requirements of starting a business. However, we were committed to our vision and persevered through these challenges. Finally, after months of hard work and preparation, we launched The Dib Studio. Our initial launch was met with enthusiasm from our target audience, and we quickly gained a following. We continued to refine our products and marketing strategy over the next months and years, constantly striving to improve and grow our business, we had a few curves and ups and downs, but we managed to stay afloat and keep the business going.

In 2022, we had a big celebration, our 10th anniversary, and we did a whole re-birth of the brand, bringing us back to our original roots. Since 2012 The Dibs Studio’s dream has been to influence style, connect people and develop experiences through a bold, minimal, and geometric design approach. We returned to the essence of when we started in New York and Caracas, that urban, street, modern, underground, and unisex vibe that allows its customers to express themselves without limitations.
Looking back on our journey, we are proud of our accomplishments. The process of going from idea to execution was long and challenging, and always will be, but it is also incredibly rewarding. We are excited to see where the future takes us as we continue to innovate and expand our product line.

Jessie, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

The Dib Studio is more than just a brand – it’s a creative force that connects people and creates experiences through bold, minimal, and geometric design. For over a decade, we’ve been pushing the boundaries of traditional aesthetics and gender stereotypes to bring you unique and timeless jewelry and home objects that stand the test of time.

Founded in 2012 with my father, The Dib Studio started as a father-daughter duo developing one-of-a-kind wearable art jewelry pieces. Today, it’s a thriving family affair, with every member playing a vital part in designing, prototyping, developing, and delivering DIB jewelry and home objects. From our studio workshops in North Carolina, Laguna Hills, and Caracas, we craft each piece with care and passion, ensuring it’s truly one-of-a-kind.

At The Dib Studio, we offer quality contemporary jewelry and objects with a minimal & geometric aesthetic. But we’re not just about designing products – we’re about creating experiences that encourage anyone to feel more in tune with themselves, their style, and their space. Our cutting-edge designs can transform a space or an outfit in seconds, allowing people to express themselves without boundaries.

We’re passionate about connecting people through design and creating experiences that bring joy and meaning to everyday life. When you buy a DIB, you’re not just buying a product – you’re buying a statement piece that looks bold and feels right, a unique and fresh way to do fashion, art, and interior design from the same starting point. Your buying an experience.

We are so proud of the connections people have made thanks to our jewelry; just wearing it has brought people together to the point where doors are opened and opportunities created, and that is what we want; we want you to look cool and wear cool modern jewelry, but we want that to spark a conversation and create a connection that you might not get anywhere else. And from the feedback we have gained, that is just what our product does, and that is our biggest win connecting people without boundaries and stereotypes; that is what puts a smile on our faces and keeps us going.

How’d you think through whether to sell directly on your own site or through a platform like Amazon, Etsy, Cratejoy, etc.

We sell our product on our Ecommerce site; we use Squarespace as we like how easy it is for the Ui/UX on the platform side and how easily it integrates with Google and Meta Business. It offers great templates to start from, but knowing some development skills helps to arrange your site as you really want it Luckily, we have that; it’s not a blocker for new business starters, just good to know. One con is that it does not connect with Shopify, but we have not needed it. A pro thing has been the pricing plan on Squarespace compared to other platforms, such as Shopify, which have met our needs, but it does not mean this one is better than the others; it just met our goals. You need to understand your needs, goals, and budget to pick the right tools and platformas that will work best for you.

Have any books or other resources had a big impact on you?

Three books that significantly impacted my management and entrepreneurial thinking, and philosophy were: 1. Atomic Habits by James Clear
2. Start with Why by Simon Sinek
3. How Clients Buy by Tom McMakin and Doug Fletcher

Contact Info:

• Website: https://thedibstudio.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thedibstudio/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thedibstudio
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/thedibstudio
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMN9NKbi4ae3_c_-pGcdvFw
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@thedibstudio

Image Credits
Photographer: @dianamolinasosa Models: @aleciarodriguez__, @takeadao, @lou.dbaibo