Hidden Gems: Meet Jannik Olander of Nialaya Jewelry

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jannik Olander.

Hi Jannik , so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I grew up in the Danish countryside, but I knew early on that I wanted to see more of the world. At 19, I moved to London and worked at Harvey Nichols. I later lived in Hamburg and Munich, learned German, and managed Ralph Lauren stores in Germany while studying business at Copenhagen Business School. I was learning how to run a business both in the classroom and on the store floor.

At 26, I opened and owned a Ralph Lauren store in Copenhagen. I was the youngest person ever to do that. I went on to open and own Polo Jeans and Tommy Hilfiger stores, eventually growing my business to seven stores in Copenhagen. Those years taught me about branding, building teams, understanding customers, and taking responsibility for everything that happens behind the scenes.

In 2008, I moved to Los Angeles, just as the financial crisis hit. The following year, I founded Nialaya. I wanted to design jewelry that felt personal and intentional: pieces people could wear every day and make their own. We opened our store on Melrose Avenue in 2010. Our jewelry is still handmade in Los Angeles and is now sold to more than 150 countries.

I’m involved in Nialaya’s design and direction every day. Building the brand has taken a lot of work and persistence, especially through difficult years. I’ve never regretted moving to LA. Eighteen years later, it’s where I’ve built both my business and my family, and I’m still excited by what’s possible here.

There’s a lot of negativity around Los Angeles these days, but I see it differently. I still see opportunity everywhere. I’m working, building, creating, and enjoying the life I came here to build. For me, LA still has that magic.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
Has it been a smooth road? Absolutely not. I started Nialaya in 2009, during the financial crisis, and growing the business brought a whole new set of challenges.

I’ve dealt with multiple lawsuits, our designs being copied repeatedly, employees who let me down, theft, customers who couldn’t pay, financial pressure, and projects that failed. When you own the business, those problems don’t disappear at the end of the day. You have to find a way through them.

Opening a store in New York was one of the hardest lessons. Eight months after we opened, the building was covered in scaffolding. People could barely see the store, and we eventually had to close it. It cost me a fortune, despite all the work we had put into getting it open.

There have been moments when things looked great from the outside while I was dealing with serious problems behind the scenes. I’ve learned to make difficult decisions, take the loss when I have to, and keep going. Nialaya is still independent and still growing, and I’m proud of what it took to get here. Today, it finally feels like we’re cruising a little more. We’re having a record year, with strong sales around the world. Nialaya is the best-selling men’s jewelry brand with several of our major online retail partners. After all the difficult years, that’s incredibly rewarding to see.

I also have an amazing team right now, possibly the best we’ve ever had. Some people have worked with me for 12 years, and they’re like family to me. We’ve been through a lot together, and it makes this chapter even more fun to share with them.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
Nialaya Jewelry is a Los Angeles brand I founded in 2009. We design and handcraft jewelry for men and women, from gemstone bracelets and chains to pearls, sterling silver, gold-plated pieces, and fine jewelry. Our store has been on Melrose Avenue since 2010, and today our pieces are sold in more than 150 countries.

I’m the founder and Head of Design, so the collection is still very personal to me. I want the jewelry to have character and be easy to wear, whether someone wears one bracelet every day or mixes several pieces in their own way. We pay close attention to the materials, the fit, and the details that make a piece feel right. I think Nialaya is the coolest, most vibrant jewelry brand in the world. I also believe the quality and design we offer at our prices are hard to find anywhere else.

What sets us apart is that we’ve kept the hands-on spirit we started with while building an international business. Our jewelry is still handmade in Los Angeles, and I’m proud of the team we’ve built here. They care about the product and about each customer as much as I do.

Our Melrose store is a big part of the brand. Local customers have supported us for years, and tourists and longtime customers make a point of visiting when they come to LA. We’re next door to the famous Pink Wall, which brings people from all over the world to our stretch of Melrose. There’s always energy on that block, and I love that Nialaya is part of it.

Where we are in life is often partly because of others. Who/what else deserves credit for how your story turned out?
I’ve learned a lot from other business owners. Most of my close friends are self-employed and run their own companies, so business is a big part of what we talk about. I love debating ideas with them, comparing experiences, and talking about finances and the decisions we each have to make. It helps to have friends who understand both the freedom and the pressure of owning a business.

There’s also so much great information available now. I listen to podcasts, follow people whose work I respect, and stay curious about how others build their businesses. You can learn directly from people you might never have had access to years ago.

My employees deserve enormous credit as well. Some have worked with me for more than a decade and have helped carry Nialaya through difficult times and good ones. And, of course, the customers who have supported us, returned over the years, and shared the brand with others have played a huge part in our success.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://nialaya.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nialayajewelry/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NIALAYA/