January

Welcome to Word of the Month! Every month, I share everything from inspiration and styling tips to insights into what it's really like to run a jewelry brand. The fun and the challenging.

Welcome to the new year to all of us! 2024, sounds clean. 2023 was, in many ways, an unusual year, but on a personal level, it was a very fulfilling and kind year. On behalf of Nootka, we also had a Christmas shopping season beyond all expectations, which we are so happy about!

At the beginning of each new year, I like to take a moment to reflect and seize the opportunity for a bit of self reflection. I feel that when you run your own business, it often means that you just keep going non-stop. One aspect where I feel I haven't fulfilled my vision is in how we at Nootka communicate the craftsmanship behind the jewelry and, most importantly, the process from idea to finished product (most of you probably don't even know that we personally visit our foundry every week?). So, I want to start 2024 by giving you an insight into how it actually all began, from the very beginning:

That there was a strong drive and desire to design was evident before Nootka was even a topic of discussion. The dream probably originated in the dress-up box filled with expressive silk dresses and meters-long pearl necklaces in our house in Malmö when I was five. For me, it was an almost magical box filled with endless possibilities and creativity. 18 years later, Google searches like "how to make jewelry?" and "how does e-commerce work?" (yes, that was the very first step for me) began in rapid pace, and a plane ticket to Seoul was booked to look at the first production. Nootka's journey was now truly underway.

Seoul was an important stepping stone and the first step to dare, but it quickly made me realize that, no, Nootka must have local production. And so it was. As my Google history heated up in parallel, 8 different goldsmiths around Stockholm received an email from me asking if I could possibly come to just observe and learn a bit about their work. I got 1 response, and over the next six months, I interned with wide eyes and great naivety (which I think was highly necessary there and then) with a goldsmith, William, who showed me the true craftsmanship for the first time. Something cool to think back on now is that it was as early as there that our raw texture, which is significant for Nootka today, took shape. More precisely, on our Chunky ring. After several failed attempts where the ring completely melted, we finally timed it just before the melting point when the silver began to move itself in irregular shapes. The same texture is found in several Nootka pieces since then, from the hoops to the clasps on our chains. Each one handmade at our local foundry in Stockholm today.

Finally, this time, a new year naturally means new designs. Which is actually exactly what I am finishing up right now. But more on that in the next Word of the month...

Much love,

Lisa