Jewelry is made by creating bonds: melding precious metal and stringing luxurious pearls, jewels and gems, melting pieces of glittering gold; but the most important bonds are not made with jewelry, but through it -- the bonds between people that a piece of jewelry can create are eternal.
M.Flynn creates the kind of jewelry that memories are made of, whether the bracelet that glistens in the summer moonlight on a stroll after a first date, the sparkling crystal earrings that glitter in photographs from a best friend’s wedding, the necklace that marks a first anniversary, or the the ring that is passed down to a granddaughter.
Elizabeth Taylor, who owned one of the most admired jewelry collections in history, once said, “My pieces of jewelry are my most cherished stories about a lifetime of fun and love and laughter.” Memories can be made of the details--after all, it is all in the details . . .
The savvy duo that makes up M.Flynn is comprised of Megan and Moira Flynn, two sisters with a passion for jewelry who got their starts studying business and marketing. Turning their passion into a business, Megan and Moira recently opened a boutique {second from top} in Boston's South End neighborhood to showcase their enchanting designs.
From their chandelier tiered drop necklaces to their antique Swarovski flower earrings, each charming and elegant piece is made with the utmost attention to detail. Their special occasion accessories line, faire la fête, (French for "to party") features the perfect accessories for weddings, galas, balls and soirées.
Along with their own designs, Megan and Moria re-create timeless pieces from their grandmother's expansive costume collection and also re-work antique heirloom jewelry.
This week, in a special two-part Favourite Five feature, Moria and Megan each share with us:
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{the top five ways a background in business can contribute to artistic endeavors:}
For Moria, the top five ways working in banking & attending business school has influenced the jewelry-making process and the creation of their business:
1. I worked at the bank during the Argentine economic crisis -- it was an extreme circumstance, but it made me realize that things can change quickly and that being flexible is important. With business we realize that we may need to change or adjust our model every once in a while.
2. Sloan [business school] taught me how to analyze a balance sheet and income statement.
3. Our style is timeless and easy-to-wear. Business school taught me that you don't need to chase trends in order to be relevant. We stay true to our customers and set ourselves apart with high quality and customer service.
4. Our operational budget is always a work in progress -- we are small but we know it is important to keep overhead and production low.
5. Argentina is known for their classic, sophisticated style, which has always influenced our design.
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For Megan, the top five ways working in marketing & receiving an Master of Science degree have influenced the jewelry-making process and the creation of their business:
1. We realize that we can be creative, but school taught me that we ultimately need to make things with our customer top-of-mind.
2. Writing was a focus of my program at Medill and is the most-valuable skill a person can have . . . well, Math is important too. Every day we need to write our customers and potential customers in an effective, concise way.
3. Communication is changing so quickly, but I think I have learned that picking up the phone or talking face-to-face is incredibly important and will never be replaced by email, Facebook or Twitter. My first job in PR made me pick up a phone and forced me to sell my clients to editors who didn't want to hear from me. When you own a business you need to put yourself on the line every day. I force my employees to use the phone -- they don't like it but I feel it's important to be direct.
4. Measure, measure, measure. Every piece of communication should be measured. We are still working on this, but today's direct marketing programs make it easy to track your effectiveness. Even a small business can evaluate an email campaign.
5. Success in fashion is about skill, a good marketing plan and doing the math to see if you can afford it all.
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p r e v i o u s f a v o u r i t e f i v e s :
* actress & writer: shiva rose
* jeweler: camille eddera
* artist: kimia kline
* actress & fashion muse: chloë sevigny
* floral stylist, part 1: denise porcaro
* floral stylist, part 2: denise porcaro
* fashion photographer & illustrator: garance doré
* interior designer & architect: nina freudenberger* entrepreneurs: rent the runway
* designer: rachel ashwell
* interior designer: tricia foley
* photographer: romina shama
* food editor & author: donna hay
~ laily
{all images created by this is glamorous from M.Flynn}
