Meet Paulina from Paulina Echeverri Jewelry
Welcome to our second interview! This time we are interviewing Paulina from Paulina Echeverri Jewelry, Laura (Mucura’s founder) and Paulina are actually friends since they were 4 years old! They went together to school in Colombia and now work together with Paulina’s jewelry line at Mucura Shop. Let’s dive into this interview and learn about Paulina and her gorgeous brand:
Laura Arciniegas: How and when was the brand born?
Paulina Echeverri: I don’t know if you remember but since middle school I used to make my own little necklaces and bracelets using whatever I could find from my mom’s materials, since my mom has been a jeweler all her life. But I didn’t really expect to become a jeweler myself or have my own line, I left Colombia and came to college here in the US, then I came back and I started my own multi-brand store in Colombia with jewelry and accessories from different designers. So here is when I decided to not only sell jewelry from other designers but to start my own line, I truly enjoyed the whole design process but the sales/numbers side of the business wasn’t really my thing. That’s where Paula my business partner came along, she was a long-time friend and it just worked out perfectly, she is in charge of the administrative and commercial areas and I design.
LA: I remember perfectly since we were very little how creative and artistic you are and have always been. At the end of the day, you have it in your blood with your family being in the industry. What would you say has been the most gratifying/ the hardest thing about starting your own line?
PE: Not all days are good days, this year with the pandemic as you can imagine it has been extra hard because of delays in production and manufacturing, supplies, and just everything. The most gratifying I would say is people’s response, even if it’s a customer who posted a picture with a piece they purchased, or a message from a client thanking us for their new pair of earrings, that just means the world to us and is what keeps us going.
LA: Totally, the pandemic has really hit every one of us in different ways, but we are slowly getting back to normalcy, or the closest to this one. In the comments section they are asking for Pauli to show us her rings(watch the IGTV interview on Instagram to see visual), we can see her new rings from the latest Luz collection that just launched in Mucura. All pieces are available in gold, rose gold and silver, her new collection that we will talk more about in a bit. Which would you say are the must-have pieces from your collections or those staple pieces that are essential?
PE: I would definitely say from this new collection is the Castanha Chain which is a gorgeous piece that can be worn with a turtle neck or just a summer tank-top and it’s a statement piece. Also, in this collection there are many small pieces which are perfect for a day-to-day look, and are also stackable, I actually got my ear pierced for this collection because I want to wear them all! (watch the IGTV interview on Instagram to see visual). Here I am paring the Vermhelo hoops and the Ambar studs in different gold colors and they look so fun and cool! Also, these earrings are from our first collection and they will always be a staple piece, because of the pleads, which the brand is recognized for (watch the IGTV interview on Instagram to see visual).
LA: Totally! Those earrings I would say are the DNA of Paulina Echeverri, the pleads which are so beautiful and nature-inspired are truly timeless and very PEJ. I absolute love the stacking, it is so in trend right now! So, the Luz Collection, what inspired you for this collection?
PE: For this collection, we took into account the world’s situation, what we are living and the trends that go with this. Which is why I designed smaller pieces which can be worn on a day-to-day basis, but that can still be dressed up pairing them up with other statement pieces or stacking them.
LA: I absolute love the new collection. Your designs are loved by our clients, latin women and also international women given they are so versatile and elegant, but also for their quality. This question I like to ask all designers is, what advice would you give to a new designer or a person who is on the journey of starting their own brand?
PE: I would say the most important thing is finding the brand’s or designer’s DNA or identity, where people know what is your design. Also, customer service, for the customer to feel free to ask as many questions as they have and earn their trust. Consistency is also key, being persistent and really understanding there are good and bad days in this journey.
LA: All you just mentioned is extremely important, thank you so much! In regards to quality, as I said before all pieces are excellent quality and for instance your earrings are extremely light weight, can you tell us about the materials you use and the production process?
PE: All our pieces are 100% handmade and made from “laton” which is an extremely versatile material, being lightweight and also very malleable. For instance these earrings, (watch the IGTV interview on Instagram to see visual) you would think are really heavy because of their size, but in fact they are extremely lightweight. It is also a very resistant material, which makes pieces like rings adjustable and will not brake or lose its original shape. It is also a non-toxic material so its importable, the “laton” is 24k gold plated, plus it has a layer of a protective material which will prevent the pieces from becoming green or tarnish.
All of Paulina’s pieces have a fascinating story behind them and are top quality as every piece from Mucura Shop. Discover the Luz Collection now available to shop!
Thank you Paulina for taking the time to tell us all these amazing stories and history behind Fenomena! And thank you! You who are reading for being part of our Mucura family and community, stay tuned for more interviews with our other designers and make sure to watch these on our Instagram @mucura_shop