Today we’d like to introduce you to Martine Ilana.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Martine. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I founded La Mer Collections (its translation is ‘The Ocean or Water’ Collections in French) after taking a year off of my design studies to travel overseas to Africa and Asia. I love souvenirs because once I’m back from any trip I can look at an object and dream of where I picked it up. I was so inspired by my time away that when I returned home, I wanted to design and create a line of watches that reminded me of my travels. La Mer Collections’ has developed over the course of the last 15 years into a boutique watch collection that is focused on the craft of manufacturing and the art-form of jewelry design.
Great, 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?
Owning and running a business is extremely rewarding, but never a smooth or easy path. Every day there are small wins across the company’s departments that pave the way towards the company’s larger brand vision (Inspired By The Color of Travel) and manufacturing values (Made in the USA).
Some of the challenges that I have personally experienced while running La Mer Collections include: growing out of office spaces, keeping up with production timelines, trying to outsmart overseas knockoffs, and making sure that our collection is fresh, unique and affordable!
La Mer Collections Watches – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
La Mer Collections is a handcrafted watch brand that is focused on brightly colored straps paired with unique jewelry embellishments that are internationally inspired and sophisticated with a flair. We offer full customization for the strap, case and jewelry combination on our site and love to go over and above the design for each client.
What sets La Mer Collections apart from all other brands is the following: Every watch has a story behind its design, every piece is handcrafted in our Los Angeles design studio (up to 10 people touch each watch!), the straps are made from scratch from genuine leather, and each watch is very feminine and offers a piece of jewelry and a timepiece. There is nothing like a La Mer Collections watch in the retail landscape of jewelry + watches.
I am most proud of La Mer Collections committing to its Made in USA production methods and also the team of people who make the collection come to life every day.
What sets us apart is our design, price point and customization offering.
What’s your favorite memory from childhood?
My family is from South Africa and my best memories are at the beach in Cape Town!
Pricing:
- La Mer’s watch collection ranges between $58 – $250.
- La Mer’s watch collection ranges between $58 – $250.
- Our website offers custom watch options and these also range from $100 – $250
La Mer Collections in Mexico 2015
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