Karin Majdalany, KABOCHON
From her mother to her mother-in-law, Karin Majdalany, has always been surrounded by industrious women steeped in designing fine accessories. Drawn to unusual gem colours over trends, Karin, the designer and founder of custom jewellery label, KABOCHON, leans towards an unconventionality that comes through in her range of cheerful and eye-catching designs, inspired by diverse elements from her own Lebanese heritage to Chinese characters.
How it began
“I have always been a fan of jewellery, but this passion really grew after I got married. Choosing my wedding jewellery ignited a renewed interest in jewels, specifically high-end, fine jewellery. Both my mother-in-law and mother have also been big influences and inspiration in my jewellery journey. They are incredibly creative and good at all arts and crafts like sewing, clothes design and making, and so on. I think this has greatly influenced my own creativity and design thinking.
I was helping my mother-in-law while she was designing fun silver-based slogan jewellery for a disabled children’s Lebanese charity called Step Together, when we decided to start a silver jewellery business in London. My clients would sometimes ask me about my own personal pieces that I had designed, which were in gold and featured fine jewellery elements. This is what led me to provide my customers with a custom order service. As designing fine jewellery was what I enjoyed most, the fine jewellery side in solid 18k gold eventually took over my business.”
“Both my mother-in-law and mother have also been big influences and inspiration in my jewellery journey. They are incredibly creative and good at all arts and crafts....this has greatly influenced my own creativity and design thinking. ”
The design process
“It doesn’t mean that if the market loves a certain type of gem, then I will automatically like it and use it in my jewellery designs. I prefer gems in more unusual colours, and they must always have good colour, clarity, and a great cut. As high-end gems such as rubies and sapphires are investment pieces, I prefer to use unheated gems.
When it comes to diamonds, I like to use alternative types too, especially in my ready-to-wear collections, as well as more trendy designs like diamond ‘rough’ slices, rose cut diamonds, champagne and cognac diamonds, as well as black diamonds.
For pearls, I only use white or golden South Sea, Tahiti, or Akoya. Again, they have to be high grade, meaning high lustre with only minor imperfections. I also need be drawn to the colour. With Tahiti, for example, there are some fabulous overtones on the pearls and, at the moment, I am loving the eggplant and bluish peacock overtones.”
“All materials need to be high quality not only because my business is based on high-end fine jewellery, but also because I always think ‘What if this piece was for me? How would I want it?’ That always helps me make decisions as I am a very fussy customer.
When I am sourcing materials for my jewellery, I use my portfolio of tried, tested, and trusted long-term suppliers who are specialists in their own fields. I have different suppliers for different types of gems and diamonds, and they are all small vendors who are reliable, trustworthy, and have ethical practices. As it is important to me that the gems and diamonds I use are conflict-free and ethically mined, any new supplier I start working with must first be vetted.
Sometimes, when I have to reproduce some of my ready-to-wear designs, I find that my suppliers try to charge me more than the previous time for the same materials. This increase is not always justified, and I might have to negotiate and challenge that increase without damaging my relationship with suppliers. It can get very tricky. This is a recurring issue with my suppliers, but I have accepted it as part of the business.”
Entrepreneurship requires tenacity
“A successful business takes time to build. One needs to be patient and persevere. In the early days, I would do events sometimes and have only a handful of people show up. That disappointed me, but thankfully, didn’t put me off. Those few people who did make the effort to come eventually formed part of the ‘snowball effect’ of business momentum. Had I known that back then, I would not have felt like the event was a failure. After many years in the business, you start to have a good base of customers who reinforce your reputation and strengthen your brand. So in the early days, it’s important to have confidence in yourself and your designs and to be patient. Persevere and don’t give up.”
Being a working mother
“Striking a balance is very difficult at times, but it helps me if I am able to prioritise. I always follow my gut feeling about what to prioritise. Of course, my client orders and fulfilling those are always top priority as a general rule. I try to plan ahead so I can organise the kids and their activities, as well as manage the household each week. Once that is done, I feel more at ease to focus on my work.”
“As I come from a culture that is very family-oriented, the children and family are usually priority when the going gets tough. As long as they are happy, I feel I can be inspired to design and do my own work.
In the run up to June last year, both my daughters had important exams at the same time. I made a conscious decision that between March and June, my priority would be supporting them during their preparations. That meant to be present and available for them, shuttling them back and forth to wherever they needed, and helping them with their homework. I chose not do any private jewellery events during that period and cut down on jewellery-based commitments as well as social outings. That meant I was at home and available. The fact that I work on my own and am a sole proprietor allows me this flexibility to take time off if needed during these crucial times.
Other than these exceptional periods, my jewellery business and home life complement each other very well. My daughters, who are 17 and 18, love jewellery — I wonder where they got that from — and they give me a good feel for what is ‘in fashion’ and what the younger generation likes. For example, for the past year or so, hoops and plain yellow gold jewellery has come back in a big way for the youngsters and I knew this from my daughters mainly. My 10-year-old son also has a keen interest in gems, so I also ask for his opinion on choice of colours for certain things. Last but not least, my husband has been incredibly supportive from the get-go and helps out especially during the time leading up to and throughout Boutiques.”
Learning from Boutiques
“Participating at Boutique Fairs has, without a doubt, been instrumental in the growth of my business and brand. Not only has it pushed me as a designer to exceed all expectations and do an excellent job that betters the last edition every time, it has also brought my brand exposure to new clients who might otherwise not have come across KABOCHON. I also get a good feel of what is ‘in’ at the moment, what items are popular, and which are less so. Feedback from customers on what they like, as well as their general questions, give me ideas and help me reaffirm what direction I should take next.”
Designer Conversations is an interview series done in collaboration with Public Culture, an editorial experience studio that believes in connection over communication. This feature was photographed by Christopher Wong for Boutique Fairs Singapore and Public Culture.