Spotlight on Laura and Michelle of Ampersand Designs

Designer Spotlight on Laura and Michelle of Ampersand Designs Some might say you should never go into business with friends or family. But for some, it's the perfect partnership.

Ampersand Designs is the brainchild of two best friends, Laura and Michelle, who are actually still talking to each other after being in business for a little over a year.

Ampersand Designs was born out of Laura and Michelle's love of fashion and music. They felt that the jewelry market lacked the intrigue and unique personality they desired, so they set out to create their own line of affordable and charming jewelry.

At Ampersand Designs, Laura and Michelle only create witty and eclectic jewelry they would wear themselves, so every piece is thoughtfully designed... because everyone's entitled to a charmed life.

How did you choose your signature logo - the Ampersand?

The Ampersand symbol is such a versatile sign to play with that we knew that we wouldn't have a problem integrating it into an ad campaign and our jewelry. An Ampersand charm is attached to every single piece we sell, but we've also recently been playing around with the new double Ampersand logo which is something we're really excited about.

We also both really liked the word, and it was one of those "out of the blue, kismet" moments that we knew instantly that this would be the name of our company.

What inspires you the most?

We take inspiration from everyday things that make us smile: Disney, music, movies, and fashion. The reason we started our own jewelry line was because we were frustrated with the same old pieces that were sold in department stores and wanted something a little bit different.

Michelle and I have had a strange dialogue for the past ten years that involves lines from movies, inside jokes and lots of laughter, and we wanted to incorporate that into jewelry that made a statement and that we were proud to wear.

Your latest collections are all about our inner princess or rockstar. Which one are you, and why?

Michelle is definitely the princess, the Disney kid, the girl who will belt out "Little Mermaid" songs in the shower, and I've always been obsessed with music, whether it be The Beatles all the way through to drum and bass.

Because of that, the princess line was very delicate and light metals, and the rockstar line was dark metals and musical charms. If anyone wanted to understand who we were as people, both of those lines sums us up.

What do you like best about being in business with your best friend? What is most difficult about it?

The best thing about being in business with your best friend is that we both know what's going on in each other's heads, so carving out a business plan was fairly easy. The new lines have allowed us to each explore who we are as separate designers while keeping everything within a similar marketing campaign.

However, it is hard to overcome that closeness when there's a problem and you have to remember, "we're not best friends right now, we're business partners and how does this next decision affect our business?" That was difficult to overcome in the beginning, but we're getting better at it!

Anything exciting or new on the horizon? Can we get a hint of what collections are coming for Fall/Winter '09?

Our new fall collection debuts on July 1st, 2009. The two lines available will be "Angelic Violence" and "Curiouser and Curiouser."

"Curiouser and Curiouser" is definitely for the girls who grew up with Disney: delicate, cute charms with jewel-tone colors, and the "Angelic Violence" line encompasses both good and evil: hand grenades and pistols mixed with angel wings and doves.

As soon as that debuts, we'll be in brainstorm mode for our Winter collection which will come out October 1st, 2009. Ampersand Designs is also taking part in the annual VIP style event for "Orange Coast Magazine" on July 29th in which our "Fairest Of Them All" necklace will be available in exclusive gift bags.

Each of you brings something special to Ampersand Designs. What do you admire most about your partner, and why?

Laura: I admire Michelle's creativity and stubbornness when it comes to creating jewelry. Michelle gets very set on what she wants to create and can do wonders with light metals. The fact that she does all the Photoshop is a blessing because I know how hard it is when it comes to manipulating images and it's definitely something I admire and wish I could do.

Michelle: I don't think we'd be anywhere without Laura's business knowledge. Everything we've done to expand Ampersand has been through grassroots marketing, and we're really far along for only being in business for a little over a year. I like that we have two points of view but can still create a cohesive business collection and that we're both on the same track and it's REALLY easy to work with her.

Who are your favorite jewelry designers?

Q-Pot, a Japanese online charm store (they make charms so cute that Michelle wants to eat them), Anna Sheffield, and Sinners Inc.

What's the one accessory you can't live without?

Laura: My silver ring on my right ring finger. It was a 21st birthday present that my Mum got, and she gave it to me when I was 15. I never take it off and have an indented band on my finger now!

Michelle: Confidence. If you have that you can wear anything. That and a hot man!

What's playing on your iPod right now?

Laura: Alexi Murdoch (he contributed a few songs to the "Away We Go" soundtrack) and Gossip - their new album just came out and it's a fun throwback.

Michelle: Lots of jazz!

Where do you hope to see Ampersand Designs in 5 years?

We would love to be a regular line in department stores, but our biggest dream is owning our own boutique. As long as we keeping gaining more exposure with the Ampersand name, we think we'll be on track!