Today we’d like to introduce you to Hilary Dempsey.
FLEURI was started by two friends in Los Angeles who shared a desire to fill a gap in their personal wardrobes with minimalistic, feminine pieces of jewelry that held significant meaning. Hilary Dempsey and Kirsten Bosch had only known each other for a few months when they started the brand. Their friendship blossomed because of the business they built together. They learned everything they know now about jewelry/business together. “We really became friends when we learned we could count on each other.” Hilary, an artist and product designer helped to develop the brand’s creative aesthetic and product line. Kirsten, with a background in business management and marketing developed the company’s strategic framework. Together, they built the business by investing their personal savings and have continued to reinvest in the company. They had no funding. The early days involved strolling through the jewelry district in downtown LA, knocking on lots of doors to secure the right manufacturers and suppliers. Asking as many questions as possible to get where they are today. MAY 2021 British VOGUE: “Friends, Hilary Dempsey and Kirsten Bosch built the up-and-coming jewelry brand, FLEURI, from a desire to fill a gap in their personal wardrobes with staples meant to be worn day until night. FLEURI has a distinctive aesthetic: a brush of minimalism and embraced femininity, designed to be effortlessly wearable.”
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?
The most difficult thing our business faced was when Kirsten moved away to Seattle and Hilary stayed in Los Angeles. How can you continue a business when you’re not together every day? What would happen to the momentum we had worked so hard to build up? Trust. The basis to all friendships in trust. As business partners it’s vital and to top it off, we both respect each other’s crafts. Do we disagree sometimes? Yes, we are human! But listening to each other’s needs/wants and trying to understand where the other is coming from has served us well. We’re by no means experts when it comes to this subject but want to relay how important it is to listen.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
We built this brand as a way to fill a gap in our personal wardrobes. In developing the product line, we realized how much we both cared about giving each design a specific meaning. We have a very simple mission; to inspire, empower and support women through our craft. We encourage women to invest in practical jewelry rather than temporary fashion. Each piece of our jewelry is named after a woman who inspires us. We try our best to tell the story behind the namesake in each design. We recently started an interview series for our brand where we talk to women from all over the world who wear our jewelry. We love sharing their life stories and what inspires them. It’s been especially meaningful to our brand during the pandemic. We found a way to learn from our customers and really connect with them. We believe jewelry is very nostalgic. As your reading this, if you were to go look in your jewelry box, we’re certain that each jewelry piece in your box has a story behind it. We don’t just go buy jewelry everyday like we would clothes. They’re for special occasions, gifts, and more often than not function as a symbolic message. We take jewelry very seriously because we know the jewelry we send to our customers will mark a moment of significance in someone’s life. Most of our designs are offered in gold-filled and 14 karat because we want everyone to have the chance to own something lovely, no matter the size of their wallet/purse. We do not sell gold-plated as it doesn’t meet our quality standards. I’d say at this point, we are most excited about our recent feature in British VOGUE. When you build a business from the ground up and feel validated after years of hard work it’s really special. Nobody sees the blood, sweat and tears you put into something. We took a risk and invested everything we had to create this business and one of the best parts has been celebrating the wins together.
Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
We have always stayed true to our brand’s identity and worked hard to not fall into fast fashion “trends”. Additionally, we’ve always felt that if you believe in something, don’t wait to start it. There will never be a perfect moment because life isn’t perfect! If you start today, you’ll be amazed at where you’re at in just a few months, years, etc.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.shopfleuri.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/shopfleuri
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopfleuri
Image Credits
Hilary Dempsey
