Mignonne Gavigan: making beaded jewellery cool again

Based in New York City, designer and entrepreneur Mignonne Gavigan launched her namesake label in 2014 with a clear directive: to create playful jewellery for a sophisticated clientele keen on making a statement. She recognised that luxury costume pieces lacked character and colour, with only cheap so-called “junky” designs fulfilling this demand. Nothing looked chic, nothing looked well made. So Gavigan set about producing her own line of whimsical jewellery, full of artisanal flair, with many beaded and embroidered pieces made by hand in specialised workshops in India. It was something of a rebirth for the humble bead.

She began with an unusual accessory that remains a best-seller to this day: a scarf necklace. Available in a variety of hand-beaded or hand-embroidered patterns, the triangular design drops delicately above the décolletage in the manner of a neckerchief. Hot on the heels of this success, came her now famous Madeline earrings, noted for their wing-like silhouette and “feathered” texture handmade with sequins and detailed beadwork. In fact, they have become such a signature piece that they regularly sell out online, presumably because of their unusual aesthetic that sits halfway between futuristic and folksy. What’s more, they are visually impactful whether or not they are modelled on an ear, which makes them infinitely more sharable on social media than jewellery pieces that have to be styled.

And speaking about social media, Gavigan has nearly 100,000 followers on Instagram. While this number may pale in comparison to some A-list celebrities, it’s an impressive figure that shines bright in the world of jewellery. Gavigan’s popularity online is a commendable feat for an independent female-led business which essentially began as a cottage industry.

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Here the designer tells TheWeek.co.uk about her growing business and how she’s managed to make beaded jewellery desirable again amongst chic discerning dressers.

You designs are full of colour and verve – what inspires your collections?

Early on in my career, I would travel quite often to both China and India and those trips led to my love of travel and the discovery of the various cultures, textiles, foods, colour and more. Truly there is an endless sense of wonder that comes with travelling to new places. We like to focus on different places each season to create a sort of transportive and immersive experience. Our most recent collection was inspired by Copenhagen and while it’s also a city, there is a gentleness and warmth to the people that translates into our collections. In addition to the colour and playfulness of their style, of course!

What is your design background?

I worked in apparel at Rachel Roy and was an assistant shoe designer at Loeffler Randall. These were both incredible experiences for me, and while they are different in nature, I was always so impressed by the leadership at these companies and feel quite fortunate to have been able to launch a company. Mignonne Gavigan came to be because I was walking home through SoHo in a T-shirt and a couture scrap I draped around my neck and people wanted to buy the “necklace”. That experience led to the design of my first ever product – our scarf necklace.

Why do you think the Madeline style was an instant hit?

Coined “the wing earrings”, our Madelines combine the concept of a statement earring with embroidery detailing which was quite rare in the jewellery industry when we launched. It has a really flattering silhouette that frames your face and is also quite versatile for every day or occasion wear. The Madelines are available in all the core and seasonal colourways – we have designed them in many iterations, and they are a customer favourite for gifting. They also are incredibly lightweight which is something we aim to accomplish in all our pieces.

What lessons have you learnt in business since its launch?

How to listen and learn from your team, and evolve with technology and culture. It’s important to have a start-up personality that’s hands-on in the tiniest of details and you certainly look for that in who you hire. Our customers are driving our business, so it’s important to us to include them and be super mindful of them while designing but also throughout our whole customer experience. I love becoming friends with everyone and truly wish I could personally know all our clients.

You have earrings in the shape of tiny champagne bottles and lion heads... why is fun such an important factor to you when it comes to design?

Colour guides a lot of our collections, with strong influences of nature and interior design. We work amongst a lot of art galleries so it’s an incredible gift to be able to constantly see paintings and sculpture pieces. We love to create jewellery that feels like a work of art and that’s eye-catching. There’s also the psychology of why women wear jewellery, and we lean into the fact that we want to make people feel happy and joyous. We want to design products that people want to wear and we think there is a romantic and feminine sentiment in whimsical silhouettes.

Can you describe the artisanal approach of your brand?

We have been able to work with fantastic factories whose artisans are now like family to me. Embroidery is a male profession in India and their detailed craftsmanship is something they have been exposed to their whole lives. They still work on looms with threadwork, sequins, crystals, and beading. I fell in love with their techniques early on in my career and became interested in the idea of weaving such detailed elements into my jewellery.

Finally, your name is so unusual. Is there a backstory to it?

Mignonne is French [for cute] and is the name of my mom’s best friend. They were Pan Am stewardesses together. I most commonly go by Maggie just for ease.

mignonnegavigan.com