Today we’d like to introduce you to Elle Pirmoradi
Hi Elle, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born in the US to Persian parents, I spent most of my childhood in Germany. My earliest recollection of jewelry was receiving a bracelet at the age of 8 that my grandmother wore when she was around the same age. It was solid gold and dainty and I used to twirl it and watch the light rays shimmer on the gold. I was fortunate to also receive some beautiful family heirloom pieces, one of the few things my mother could grab when leaving the country for good in 1979. This surely had an impact on my love for jewelry. These pieces go back some five generations, now I get to cherish them and I look forward to passing them on one day (in the far future). That’s priceless.
As Karl Lagerfeld (and a native Hamburger) said of his hometown, “Hamburg is the gateway to the world, but only the gateway”. After completing my classical piano education, I relocated to Los Angeles to begin my studies at UCLA. It was at that time that I took my passion for jewelry to a professional level. Parallel to attending college, I became the right hand of a prestigious female jeweler in Beverly Hills. I absorbed the many facets of the art and business; beginning with the design, production as well as sales and after-service. While learning the skills of the trade, I attended trade shows and met many wonderful people along the way, I realized that’s it, that’s my calling.
Fast forward to 2021 when I started Bangelle, 6 moves across the globe and 2 kids later, I’m very excited to have turned my dream into reality: creating a high-end jewelry line dedicated to all things around the wrist. The fact that Bangle + my first name (Elle) makes Bangelle, I read as the universe giving me its green light- what more could I ask for? From the very beginning I knew what I wanted to create: novel, stunning bangles that no jewelry connoisseur could resist. My eye resonates with symmetry and angularity, in lots of things including jewelry. I strove to design the perfect addition to a stacked wrist: innovative and gorgeous bangles, all in 18K, all meticulously handcrafted by artisans in Los Angeles. Bringing this vision to life has been such an exciting journey.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Obstacles & hurdles are meant to be overcome, they test your commitment to something. When you know where you want to go, you make sure you’re on the right track, you set your goals and persistently work towards them. Everything beyond is a speed bump along the way. Those are meant to slow you down, in other words a creative’s biggest challenge. Patience is one of these, probably the biggest one.
When I create a new collection, I typically start with paper and pencil, old-school. Translating this into 3D renders and crafting the samples can be daunting; at that point you’ve already seen the new pieces in your mind for a while but the production process naturally takes time. Perfection doesn’t come easy or fast. Once you touch and feel the pieces, the wait is well worth it though. Your vision literally turns into tangible beauty.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Bangelle is dedicated to 18K handcrafted bangles and bracelets. Just like a nice watch makes you feel more put together, we wanted to create a similar feeling with the bangles. Bold and solid pieces that elevate an effortless stylish look. Our first collection started off with only solid gold. The idea was to create unisex, ageless, universally beautiful and sturdy pieces. A brand created exclusively for heavy-handed, gold loving, bracelet-obsessed jewelry aficionados who can’t do without their favorite stacks.
All designs are made by hand in Los Angeles by local master jewelers. The line features a timeless, sleek and luxurious signature look. Solid 18K yellow, rose or white gold bangles in ladies, gents and unisex options. These are wearable pieces, day or night, dressed up or down. The uncompromising design is as beautiful as it is strong. While stunning on their own, I like to layer the bangles with other beloved pieces as the perfect addition. There is something uniquely satisfying about a bundle of bangles gently rattling. My ideal stack includes Cartier’s Juste un Clou, Hermes’ Kelly and Collier de Chien, a fun tennis bracelet for some sparkle and Bangelle’s Dainty and Uni. I had this vision long before I laid eyes on the first Bangelle prototypes.
Ranging from the Dainty’s one ounce to the BigBang’s four ounces (!) of 18K gold per bangle, it’s all about bringing together the mundane and the luxurious. These are weighty pieces by choice; hollow and high-end are mutually exclusive in my world.
I look at the early pieces as the foundation of the brand. Based on that, we have added other designs, play- and colorful pieces, including diamonds and colored gemstones. The newer pieces have their own ‘personalities’, but there’s definitively a recurring theme; similar to musical variations, there’s an aesthetic resemblance that keeps peeping through the different models.
How do you think about luck?
“To be successful you have to be lucky, or a little mad, or very talented, or find yourself in a rapid growth field.” I find a lot of truth in this quote from de Bono. For Bangelle, all of these apply to some degree. To this I’d add the elements of perspective and timing. The old half full vs half empty question, is solely a question of how you look at something, not what that something actually is. And timing, both in my personal and professional life, has played a crucial role. Perhaps pure luck plays its biggest role when it comes to timing. Thus, you can’t necessarily control when you meet people, or when an opportunity presents itself. But what one makes of it is a personal choice.
Pricing:
- Ranging from $7,350 to $24,150
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.Bangelle.com
- Instagram: @bangelle.jewelry
Image Credits
ITJgroup
Staystudiobkk
