Behind the Jewelry Favorite, Bangelle, and Its Founder, Elle Pirmoradi’s Creative Journey
The U.S. jewelry market sees a bright future as a new Los Angeles-based fine jewelry brand makes an impression on the competitive luxury market. Bangelle offers exquisite pieces that appeal to stacked, layered wrist lovers specializing in bold, handmade bangles crafted from 18K gold. In an interview with L’Officiel Monaco, Bangelle founder Elle Pirmoradi shares her journey of creating the brand, her inspirations behind her unique market niche, and her aspirations of continuously establishing Bangelle in the luxury jewelry market.
It’s unique for a fine jewelry line to focus on one particular type of jewelry. What led you to dedicate your line exclusively to bangles?
As you say, it is unique to do so, which is a plus in this highly competitive industry. Additionally, I love the fact that you can stack bangles, and you don’t have to pick and choose. Unlike rings, for example, I don’t have enough hands to wear all the pretty rings I’d like to put on. However, when it comes to bangles, I’m usually in the ‘more is more’ category. They complement and enhance a look, they don’t clash.
I also think bangles are a great way to incorporate a little bit of luxury into everyday life. A nice watch certainly has similar qualities; you immediately feel more put together when you wear one. There’s something sturdy and understated about bold pieces around the wrist. I wanted to achieve a similar feeling with my jewelry.
What challenges did you face in bringing this vision to life?
My background in jewelry made the beginning somewhat smoothly when I started Bangelle. I had the advantage of knowing the ins and outs of the production process, and I naturally love all the creative work before any gold is actually being used.
I knew early on that I wanted to focus on bangles and that I wanted to create a novel bangle shape. The fun and tricky part is spreading the word about the jewels. Due to the pieces' bold and sleek nature, they work well in photoshoots and editorials. Being in Los Angeles helps, as there’s always an event or something happening. But recognition doesn’t come easily; there are lots of talented designers. Our philosophy is that great design, quality, and persistence pay off. You stay relevant by being good.
You've mentioned inventing a new bangle shape. Can you tell us about it? What makes these bangles unique?
Fine-tuning and adjusting every little detail is lengthy and can sometimes test your patience. But every step is important, and things take as long as they take to mature to perfection. The prototype designs definitely evolve over a bit of time, and that’s ok. It starts with an idea, a general concept of where the journey is going. With the first collection, I saw the finished pieces in my mind long before we entered production.
An important little detail is for example, that the bangles do not have a visible clasp or other opening mechanism. You get a perfectly symmetrical, solidly locked bangle that sits snugly around your wrist. Adding a little clasp on the side would be much easier but would defy the whole concept. The devil’s in the details. What’s also fun about my line is that it elevates your other pieces. I would go as far as saying every stacked wrist looks better with a Bangelle!
You have previously mentioned that you’ve lived in many different parts of the globe. How have all these different cultures influenced your line?
I think the more you travel, the more you see how we are all similar and connected. People enjoy good food, good weather, good music and so forth globally. Of course, what’s good is debatable, but the point is that people get pleasure from similar sources. To some extent, beauty and style are the same, although that’s perhaps more heavily influenced by culture.
One significant factor while designing is that I seek to create something universally appealing. And pragmatically speaking, the pieces are meant to be worn from a.m. to p.m., proving suitable with many different looks. I’m a fan of a seemingly effortless style. Categories limit creativity; I make unisex, ageless, and timeless gold bangles.
My eye resonates with symmetry and angularity. Perhaps those are universal guidelines for what we deem attractive. Whether in Los Angeles, Paris, Bangkok, or Berlin, my bangles travel with me, and they make sense in all these different locales.
The jewelry market is highly competitive, with many established brands. What strategies did you employ to carve out a niche and earn your spot in the market?
Many different factors play a role. Above all is the design and quality of the jewelry itself. I think of it as the foundation. The second is persistence. Especially in the beginning, you’re trying to build relationships with stylists, writers, and editors. Creating a piece of jewelry that doesn’t already exist while being of the highest quality and stunning at the same time is what we continuously seek to deliver.
Then there’s a little bit of luck, being at the right place at the right time. But it all starts and ends with the product itself. Regarding other brands, I find their successes motivating and not as threatening to Bangelle’s future. On the contrary, they show possibilities!
As the founder and chief designer of Bangelle, how do you maintain these high standards throughout the design and production process and ensure that the brand’s collections resonate with contemporary styles?
One of the great privileges of having the freedom to create exactly what you envision is that you don’t have to chase trends. Those come and go, but fine jewelry never goes out of style. A gold bracelet is timeless. Look at the love bracelet, for instance. It has become an iconic piece cherished by more than one generation. Of course, things become iconic only in hindsight.
My creative driving force is making beautiful, innovative bangles that resonate with stacked wrist aficionados. I rely on my taste and eye, keeping in mind that they make sense with other staples, of course. As for quality standards, we only use 18K gold, and all our pieces are handmade by artisans in Los Angeles.
Looking forward, what are your aspirations for Bangelle, and how do you plan to remain relevant in the jewelry market?
The only way is to repeatedly push forward and convince your audience by delivering with design and quality. I’m fortunate to be in an industry that’s competitive – yes, but there’s always demand for something new as well.
Looking into the future, my main focus will be around the wrist, of course. I like my niche, and I’ll keep working on making it bigger and better. In doing so, I’ll stick to timeless over trendy. Initially, I was keen to make gold pieces strictly. While this is still the case, I’m exploring new avenues, such as incorporating gemstones and bracelets rather than only bangles. I still have lots of gold (and more) to share with the world.
