Hidden Gems: Meet Grace Nguyen of LOUPN

Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Nguyen.

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started? 
As a third-generation jeweler, I grew up having a lovely impression of my late grandpa, who was a watchmaker, and my eldest uncle, who has been a jeweler as long as I could remember, with the most calming smiles. When I was 7 years old, my mom ran a clothing shop in Seoul, Korea. I didn’t realize these exposures would impact my path. 

When I quit my full-time job managing e-commerce and digital marketing teams so that I may be more available for my young children, I explored various business ideas. While I consulted for another jewelry brand, I met Benjamin Holtrop, a celebrity stylist, who became my catalyst and muse for LOUPN. Benjamin suggested that I start a men’s jewelry brand because he’s always looking for men’s jewelry, but it was hard to find good ones. This suggestion led to me explore the world of jewelry deeper, especially in the men’s world. 

After discovering that most of the jewelry available to men was either grungy, blingy, cheap, or extremely expensive, I decided to start a jewelry brand that caters to men, offering quality, clean styles at reasonable prices because men needed a way to express themselves too. As we launched, I made a conscious decision to feature Asian and other minority men to represent our brand because, as an Asian American, I longed to see faces that look like me in magazines. I turned to Korean fashion magazines in my teens since there were no faces I could related to in American magazines. As it turned out, many minority audience were able to connect with our brand, but not only men. Women started asking for smaller sizes as well. 

Now, we have expanded slowly to offer a wider range of sizes, as well as styles. We are actively becoming an inclusive brand, who can be worn by truly anyone – no matter what gender, age, or size, with special emphasis in cultural pieces that represents my love of traditional Korean designs. 

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Entrepreneurship is never a smooth road, but that’s what makes it so fun! My biggest struggle so far was splitting up with my business partner, a family member whom I love dearly. Although it was one of the most painful life experiences I’ve gone through, it helped me to reflect and truly look inward. It made me see the past traumas that I had ignored my entire life and deal with them face-on. It became a launching point for me to heal, work on correcting my unhealthy habits, practice grit, find my voice, and build my confidence. Just as I wished LOUPN would help our community, the LOUPN journey carried me through a transformation. 

Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about LOUPN?
LOUPN means what goes around, comes around. It’s rooted in my belief that the energy you put out is what you’ll receive back. It’s intended to encourage positivity, confidence, and love. 

We offer clean styles of sterling silver jewelry, but we are especially known for our cultural pieces that reflect our Korean & Asian American heritage. Our customer love our pieces that reflect Korean history, as well as collab collections that reflect the partnerships we love to form in order to help people feel a sense of belonging. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the role of luck?
Luck is what you make of it! I believe that any bad can be turned into a positive thing by making it into a learning opportunity. The one thing I do acknowledge though, is that I’ve been blessed with meeting the right people at the right time. There are many amazing people I’ve met throughout life, including my time with LOUPN, who were very impactful. I’m just so grateful. 

Pricing:

• Earrings: $60-95
• Rings: $115-225
• Necklaces: $125-695
• Bracelets: $165-305

Contact Info:

• Website: https://loupn.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/loupn_collection/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/loupn.collection
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDrKvVqAwvkRDU8yk2gNVTA
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@loupn_collection

Image Credits
Sohyun Lee
Raul Romo
Benjamin Holtrop