When Grace Lee’s young daughters, Olivia and Camilla, walked into her store for the first time, they told her it “looks just like our house.” While Lee doesn’t think the two settings are exactly alike, the inviting ambience of stepping into a home is exactly what she wants to convey at her eponymous store in Los Angeles, California.
“I designed the entire store layout and all of the displays,” says Lee, describing the decor as “clean, modern and very refined, with specific and intentional details. It is an extension of the brand.”
The same black-veined white marble appears throughout the store, including in the jewelry cases and the built-in wall display with its custom-designed brass pegs to hold the merchandise. “It looks like a work of art,” says Lee.
No detail was overlooked. Lee designed drawers to store stock, and pull-out trays that allow easy access to selling tools such as a finger sizer and ring baton. To facilitate working side-by-side with the customer, Lee created rolling carts made of white oak.
The 1,000-square-foot store is divided into two equal spaces. A folding glass door separates the front retail area from the back, which is devoted to custom work. This gives visitors the “very private feel” of being the only customer in the store, Lee says.
Bridal beginnings
Custom design was Lee’s entry into the jewelry industry after a career in corporate finance. She admits she knew nothing about diamonds until she got engaged. But her office was located about two blocks from the downtown jewelry district, and in the process of doing her research, she met diamond dealers and jewelers. Eventually, she designed her own “perfect” ring, which her fiancé “just happened to pick out.”
“After my friends saw my ring, they asked for my help,” she recalls. But it wasn’t until she was on maternity leave with nothing to do that she decided to go back to the jewelry district and design other pieces. “When I wore them for the first time, people wanted to buy the jewelry off my body.”
After years of designing custom engagement pieces by appointment in her downtown studio, she opened her new retail boutique last October. Today, former First Lady Michelle Obama, singer Dua Lipa and actress Charlize Theron are among her fans.
A Covid-19 opening
Even with her meticulous planning, Lee couldn’t have imagined that she would launch a retail venture during a pandemic.
“I found the location, and we were deep in renovations when we first had to quarantine, and then — lucky me — we were in a pandemic when we opened on October 30, [2020],” she recounts. Fortunately, she managed to drum up interest with some help. “Honestly, word of mouth has been a savior, along with social media and strategic press placements. I have a tight-knit group of friends in creative and other endeavors, and we share ideas and brainstorm. And we support each other by recommending the other person’s products to our own clients.”
Describing her style as “classic modern,” Lee is hesitant to categorize her customers in terms of a specific demographic. She appeals to women who appreciate her quality and designs and who share her commitment to using ethical diamonds.
“The great thing about having a store is that there are almost 1,000 SKUs on display in a wide range of price points to attract different clients,” Lee comments.
Over the years, she has observed changing style preferences among her clientele. “In the beginning, when I was doing customer engagement rings, everything was light and airy. Every bride wanted bands as thin as possible. But now I’m seeing a shift to more significant, thicker bands and also to one band that serves as both the engagement ring and the wedding band, rather than the traditional single-stone ring.”
Looking to 2021
Lee intends to introduce two full collections in 2021, but her other plans are on hold due to Covid-19. While she conducts business on an appointment-only basis for now, she envisions offering in-store events for bridal clients, with florists, planners and even caterers.
Her background in corporate finance has proven to be an asset. After deciding to open a store, she created all the necessary corporate documents and bank accounts in one day. She also learned valuable business lessons from spending a lot of time with CEOs, CFOs and successful entrepreneurs.
But it is the support of her clients that “continues to overwhelm” Lee. “I’ll start with a custom engagement ring, and then the wedding band, and then the push present, and eventually it turns into a lifelong relationship. These things have helped the business grow to the point where I could open a store. I’m very thankful for their loyalty.” gracelee.com
Article from the Rapaport Magazine - January 2021. To subscribe click here.