Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Lazar.
Hi Karen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I started my journey in the fashion industry in the mid 90’s when opening a chic Beverly Hills boutique, Acacia. From there, I dabbled in clothing manufacturing for my brand Gavin Clothing, selling in over 100 boutiques nationwide. After growing in the industry and in my own unique style, I just became obsessed with seeing how personal of an experience accessorizing your wardrobe is. So, that’s where my beads came to life!
I was a single mom and entrepreneur, and bootstrapped Karen Lazar Design by styling and wearing my custom designs everywhere I could possibly imagine. One minute I’m selling my beaded designs at every dinner party I was invited to, and the next I’m personalizing and handing out my designs like candy to all of my friends. I’ll never forget even selling the collection out of the trunk of my car! I finally launched the official Karen Lazar Design collection in 2011. In the beginning, it became a cult favorite quickly, and that’s when we became the home of the Original 14k Gold Filled Beaded Bracelet.
Flash forward to today, all of our pieces are STILL proudly beaded in Los Angeles, allowing each collection to be fairly priced, without losing quality. KLD beads are 14k gold filled, non-tarnish, and produced to move with you for all of life’s adventures. And of course, we make sure to offer 10 size variants, ensuring a perfect fit for all wrists.
As a women-run team, Karen Lazar Design operates with women in mind. We hope our pieces remain a part of your story and continue to build connections between friends, mothers, daughters, partners, etc. With quality that lasts a lifetime, KLD is thrilled to have a dynamic & loyal tribe of customers around the globe.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
OH boy, have there been bumps! Ensuring our quality is up to the highest standards, maintaining a healthy and honest production and operational baseline at all times, and making sure our customers are constantly satisfied and wanting more…just to name a few! Ha!
But truly, creating a line with 10 different sizing options, and building out a women-run team has been the most fulfilling journey. I truly couldn’t do it without my girls! Staying on your toes, staying honest, and learning to peacefully put out the fires that come with running a business is key.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I love working with stones because of their natural stories. It’s how I build out stories with all of my collections!
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
Building my company based off communities around me! I have always championed for women, for female entrepreneurs, mothers, friends, artists…To have built my company from where I started and been able to have a team full of women and a community full of women backing it…that’s my joy!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://karenlazardesign.com/
- Instagram: @karenlazardesign
