Meet AAPI Female-Founded Accessory Brand: Flaire & Co.
Meet the next hottest jewelry brand, Flaire & Co. The brand has cultivated a huge following on TikTok, over 198.4K with 6.8M likes, for committing to revolutionize affordable jewelry. With all pieces 30 dollars and under, with promises not to turn your skin green, and hypoallergenic material what’s not to love?
The company was founded by Dorothy Deng during the Covid pandemic in 2020. Flaire & Co was established in LA seeking to begin this jewelry mission in the “city of the stars.” During this time the brand grew with over 90,000 orders that have been sent out and 22.9k on Instagram.
The company offers three different materials, giving everyone what they are looking for. Flaire offers stainless steel, 14kp-18k gold plating, and sterling silver. Each material water-resistant, hypoallergenic, and promises to not leave skin discolored. Flaire is known for earring stacks with even the site giving you a style guide on how to style the ear candy.
With such a fast-growing company, BELLA chatted with founder, Dorothy Deng, to learn more…
Founder and CEO Dorothy Deng
How did social media play a role in the rise of your company?
I believe that social media presents a significant opportunity for emerging brands to establish their presence, complementing traditional marketing avenues. At the beginning of Flaire, I lacked the means for extravagant marketing endeavors. It was just me, starting a business at the corner of my bedroom. However, just making silly little 10-30 second videos, I was able to find a community of people that truly resonated with my brand’s values. I'm truly amazed by the reach social media offers small brands and the limitless growth opportunities it unlocks.
What is the brand’s key mission statement?
Flaire & Co. is committed to providing fashion-forward students with high-quality products at genuinely affordable prices. Through robust partnerships with manufacturers and meticulous material selection, we ensure our offerings are skin-friendly, durable, and represent excellent value for our customers' investment.
How does Flaire & Co.’s jewelry maintain such high quality while keeping an affordable price?
Through extensive trial and error, we were able to find manufacturers that delivered quality products at reasonable prices. While other jewelry brands charge a 20-30x mark up on their products, our mission is to create the best value for our customers. We also take customer feedback very seriously and are continuously making changes to our products to make sure we can have the highest quality products possible.
How does it feel to represent the AAPI community as the founder?
As the founder of Flaire, I am honored to serve as a representative of the AAPI community. It's incredibly empowering to highlight the resilience of our heritage and foster a global community through our brand. Being part of the AAPI community has provided me with invaluable support from fellow members, for which I'm profoundly grateful. I am dedicated to further infusing Flaire's designs with my Chinese heritage, drawing inspiration from my Asian American background to uplift our community through our creations.
How did COVID play a pivotal role in your company?
Honestly, without COVID, I doubt our brand would even exist. The inception of Flaire came from my struggle to secure a job during the pandemic. As a recent college graduate navigating unprecedented times, I found myself at a crossroads in my career trajectory. It was during this period of uncertainty that Flaire came into being. The idea for Flaire emerged from aimless browsing on social media and perusing customer feedback on other jewelry brand accounts. Furthermore, Flaire's rapid growth owes much to the widespread stay-at-home orders and the surge in online shopping that characterized the pandemic era.
What goes into the process of designing your pieces?
I believe my approach to designing sets me apart from other jewelry brands. Rather than adhering to a specific method, I tend to spontaneously sketch designs as they come to mind. Lately, I've been drawn to developing extensive collections from a singular concept. Whether sparked by a single pendant design inspiring complementary pieces or originating from a broader collection idea, each design undergoes its own unique evolution. I find this organic process adds intrigue and depth to my creations, setting them apart from conventional methods of collection development.
What message do you have for any female looking to start their brand?
One of the greatest challenges you'll face on your entrepreneurial journey is overcoming self-doubt. It's essential to push past thoughts of "What if I can't do this?" and embrace the belief that you can accomplish anything. Adopting the mindset of "I can do anything" can be liberating and empowering. Trust me, once you adopt this mindset, navigating the path of building a business becomes much smoother.
What is the backstory with the name Flaire & Co?
Even though my immediate circle might think that the idea of the name Flaire came from my best friend Claire, the real story is less sentimental. I basically just brainstormed words that could represent the concept of “jewelry empowering women”, and Flaire happened to fit the bill.
Want to try out the jewelry pieces for yourself? Check out Flaire & Co! FlaireAccessories.com.
