ALEX AND ANI BEHIND THE SCENES

ALEX AND ANI BEHIND THE SCENES

It’s too impossible to dream this. Carolyn Rafaelian, Founder and CEO of ALEX AND ANI,  spoke to an audience of over seventy people, her very first CHARITY BY DESIGN summit.
I want to go to work and be surrounded by people who are happy doing what they do. I want to wake up knowing that I am making a difference.
We are all connected. We are a company that believes in everything we touch, everything we say, everything we do and that’s all the way down to the inks we use on our meaning cards. We are not here to do anything that has been standard in the past because it doesn’t matter, we are here to set our own path and keep that place where it is encouraging for everyone else to look at and say, if they can do it, we can do it. Or if they can do it, we should do it.

Listening to Carolyn speak, you can’t help but be inspired, feeling the energy and passion that she exudes. She wears jeans and a black, long-sleeved shirt, her dark hair pulled back in a ponytail and an array of bangles on her wrist.
This summit is something very special; it is to thank all of the charities for working with ALEX AND ANI, but the truth is, that ALEX AND ANI has done so much for these charities. CHARITY BY DESIGN is an initiative where ALEX AND ANI partners with local universities, hospitals, charitable foundations, and more – offering support through monetary and in-kind donations. They believe in working together to create something bigger than they ever could alone. In just six years, ALEX AND ANI has donated more than $50 million to non-profits worldwide. But Carolyn still isn’t satisfied. She is on to the next goal. She wants to do more. “What’s next? Okay, we did this. Now what can we do?”

The ALEX AND ANI story really begins in 1966, when Carolyn was born.  Coincidentally, it is also the year that Carolyn’s dad started a jewelry manufacturing facility In Cranston, Rhode Island. Carolyn and her siblings grew up with this factory and it was actually a form of punishment for them. If they misbehaved, they would have to go to the factory and put in their time working there..

Carolyn is someone who is very spiritual. She knew that when the day came to start something, she wanted it to be something that had meaning and that everyone could benefit from.

Carolyn says, I remember the day that I took this very seriously and I wanted to name this company. I remember looking at my two little girls and saying, how do I teach them that there are no limitations in life? And then I said to myself, how do I teach myself? We are all part of our environment. I was brought up in a very loving family with all the ‘necessary crazy’ that everyone has and I was fortunate to be in an environment that I got to play in a factory my whole life! I learned about what was important in life and to me, when I looked at those little girls. I didn’t set out to create ALEX AND ANI to be what it is today. I didn’t think that far in advance, I just looked at a beautiful factory that was  suffering along with the rest of the industry, just chugging along and I threw a little bit of my life force and a lot of passion and named the company after my kids.   My daughters always remind me when I make  a goofy decision about something, they are like, “ uh, it’s named after us.”  That manufacturing facility is still operating today for ALEX AND ANI.

The Making of an ALEX AND ANI Bracelet:

We’ll start off thinking about the year as a whole and choose a theme. We then take that theme idea to Marissa, who is our chief Symbologist. She thinks about what the customer needs from us and what the message is.
Then we research all about that theme anything and everything goes.
We go through all the research with the designer and start pulling colors and inspiration.
We then meet with merchandising while we are still brainstorming and  pulling concepts together. At this point, they will say, these are core symbols and they want to see two SKUs. So one design and two finishes.
The whole time we’re in and out of Caroline’s office with all of the ideas and samples. She is great at trusting that we understand the mission and the aesthetic of the brand and, most importantly, the messaging that we want to put out there.
We have a designer who creates the meaning cards on our team, we have the writer, and we have the product designers. So it all comes together into this meaningful package.

 

Q & A with a few of the amazing people behind the brand:

Beecher Fritzmeier, VP of Design, ALEX AND ANI

Beecher Fritzmeier, VP of Design, ALEX AND ANI
Beecher Fritzmeier

EG: What were you like as a girl?

BF: I was the first born and was spunky and outgoing.

EG: Can you describe the journey you took to get where
you are today?

BF: I went to Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, New York, for fashion design.
And then I graduated and, like most people, I was like, “Oh my gosh, what am I gonna do now?”

I was in New York, there were so many possibilities. But a lot of the time you had to intern for free.  I ended up accepting a job as a sales executive for a shoe company that I had been working retail in their store to get through college called Sigerson Morrison.
They had a great New York following, they had European stores that sold to them. So at a young age I was going to Paris and Italy with them and showing the line. It was exciting! But after a year I was, like, this is an amazing experience but I am miserable. So I left the job.

I believe that Connections are what matters. And it doesn’t mean that you need to know some famous person or  the CEO of a company. It can be anyone. Someone you meet on the bus on your way to school.” You just never know. And I met a mom in the park and we became friendly and we would talk when we’d see each other. And she was a senior designer at Coach. She told me about an opening at the company and asked if I would like to apply. I jumped at the chance.

The interview process took about six months and I was applying for an assistant job.

So, I got in there and put in my time and then was designing the collection with the team. And so that was an amazing experience, I learned a lot. It was good work ethic. We were there until nine o’clock at night, ten o’clock at night, when we needed to and we hustled and we got things done. It was fun and I was young, so it was just amazing.
EG: How did you get your job at ALEX AND ANI?

BF: My friend Kate Richard reached out and said, “You know? Caroline’s thinking about doing more with design and she wants to pick your brain about handbags. Would you be willing just to come in and have a conversation with her?”
I said, “Sure, why not? No problem.”
I met with Carolyn one evening and we chatted. I left feeling really excited but not really knowing what it meant and then Kate called me and said she wants to make this happen. Are you interested?  And I said yes.  I went back and worked with her for a day just to make sure it was the right fit and that was that.”

So everything fell into place and I know that it’s kind of like a fairytale story but there was a lot of hard work in between.

 

Kate Richard, SVP, Brand and Creative, ALEX AND ANI

Kate Richard, SVP, Brand and Creative, ALEX AND ANI, woman
Kate Richard

EG: What were you like as a girl?

KR: I was very much like I am as an adult, a little too serious and a little too imaginative, all rolled up in one person. I loved being a kid, loved getting lost in my thoughts and my journey, always a little bit more of an introvert.

EG: Can you describe the journey you took to get where
you are today?

KR: My journey is a big part of what I’ve become, I think it’s a little less traditional than some. I grew up in Vermont, way up north, and was determined to get out of Dodge and try something new. So I went to college in NYC, feeling incredibly inspired and motivated. Within months, for a multitude of reasons, I couldn’t continue my education. The idea of being in the real world was equal parts exhilarating and terrifying.
At 18, I moved to Philadelphia and worked in the basement of Tower Records. I had an epiphany down there, realizing I was going to have to figure something out if I didn’t want to sell CDs for the rest of my life.   At the end of the day it was a leap of faith, a force of the hand, that made me realize I was going to have to do it on my own. I knew that it was NOT impossible to achieve my goals and dreams just because I didn’t have a degree. But that’s hard, and that sounds better in your head than it does on paper, in the face of real life. But with that, I pushed harder, learned as much as I could, set myself up with every opportunity that presented me with growth. I refined my skills, got comfortable in my own skin, and set my sights high. I worked through absolutely every level of employment, always looking for the upside, the next thing. Your own hustle has to be on point, and it starts with finding the confidence and the conviction to succeed and set yourself apart.

EG: How did you get your job at ALEX AND ANI?

KR: It’s my 5 year anniversary right now, and I think all the time about my start here! I noticed the growth of this place, like all Rhode Islanders, and kept an eye on things. It just kept calling me, I would see it everywhere, hear about it from everyone. I was so attracted to the company, even though I wasn’t sure if what I was doing at the time was useful to it. So I started in operations, my comfort zone, and it grew from there. I put myself in front of Carolyn one day, and told her I wanted to be on her team and that I thought I could be an asset. She could have refused it, but she gave me a chance to help her build her team and her growth strategy. The rest has been a constant and organic shift in priorities and responsibilities.
I don’t get too attached to any one thing, because I realize part of my magic here is being whatever the company needs me to be when we need. It. Titles come and go, but your value to a company’s ethos should be essential.

Jenny Pereira, Brand and Creative, ALEX AND ANI

Jenny Pereira, Brand and Creative, Alex and Ani
Jenny Pereira

EG: What were you like as a girl?

JP: I was first generation in the US. My parents are from Portugal and they immigrated here as adults. My sister and I were born here and they did that for us so we could have a better life. I have always known that, so I try to make the most out of every opportunity because I know the sacrifices that they made. I was always pretty outgoing because I wanted those opportunities to come my way and I didnt want to miss anything.

EG: Can you describe the journey you took to get where
you are today?

JP: I graduated from college in 2007 with a marketing degree from UMass Dartmouth, not even knowing what I wanted to do- which I think is the case with a lot of young people coming out of school. I took a job working for a non-profit organization that taught kids how to have healthy relationships, the Katie Brown educational program and it was great and it taught me a lot. It was a small organization and we all wore many hats. It gave me a great professional start!  Then, when a position came available to join the charity team at ALEX AND ANI, it seemed like a natural organic fit, so I applied and I was really lucky I started as an executive assistant to the vice president of CHARITY BY DESIGN. I learned so much working hand in hand with her and getting to work with so many large and small non-profits. I was working with the team in a new professional environment and in a field that I was really passionate about. It’s the fashion industry, yet we give back so it touches a little bit of everything and that was really fulfilling.
I have been at ALEX AND ANI for five years and I have moved around a little bit. I now work in support of Kate Richard, SVP, Brand and Creative, and it’s been great. A lot of the times it is greeting and hosting people and being the brand ambassador.  It also means being really organized and trying to stay on a timeline and also setting things up and working really closely with other departments well. It also come with a whole other side of administrative work and email, making sure finances are in line. It is a really rewarding position because you are getting to work both internally and externally. I can say that I love my job, I love coming here everyday and think a huge part of that is the people we work with are great.

Deidre Fraser, Global Operations Specialist, Partnerships and Brand Licensing

Deidre Fraser, Global Operations Specialist, Partnerships and Brand Licensing, Alex and Ani
Deidre Fraser

EG: What were you like as a girl?

DF: I was active with singing, dancing, kick-boxing and swimming; but when it came to venturing outside of my circle of family, friends and community, I was very shy and reserved. To the point, I did not participate in class until the ninth grade! It was not until high school that I started to break out of my shell, form friendships outside of those in my community – I know that going to school over an hour away from home and travelling to and from every day pushed me to that point and I’m grateful for that!

EG: Can you describe the journey you took to get where
you are today?

DF: My story goes back to when I went to Immaculate Conception High School in Jamaica. I went through high school with great grades but nothing really piqued my interest until the 12th  grade, when I took an economics course. To me, poverty and lack of education were, and still are, complicated problems that can be broken
down and solved. I remember always asking myself, after I read a chapter or completed an assignment in class, why can’t people just implement some of these practises? Then, I saw myself visiting different countries and places that have
individuals facing these issues and wondering, how can I help to make a difference? My vision was to build partnerships with citizens, businesses, and government agencies for, in best terms…the better good.
I remember, some days when my exams ended early or I was leaving from my summer job, I would take the bus home. Sometimes I would get in an explorative mood and take a bus or taxi that I had never taken before to a part of Jamaica I
had never been (unbeknownst to my parents). To this day they still think that I don’t know how to take a bus in Jamaica. Most times I ended up in some of the most poverty-stricken areas of Jamaica, which allowed me to see the issues and
challenges of my country first-hand. I realized at 16 years old that giving money to one person or donating clothes would help but would not make THE difference in the life of these communities. It would take something bigger, and this is what drove my passion to make a change. This is what attracted me to Charity by Design at ALEX AND ANI. This is why I am so passionate about working with the numerous non-profit partners through this department. Through Charity by Design, ALEX AND ANI is helping to improve the quality of life for individuals nationally and globally. It is
through the work of Charity by Design that people in Haiti have access to clean water and impoverished children right here in the US are being fed on the weekends.

I know I am only making a small dent through my work but I know that in my role within Charity by Design, I can reach my goal of being a catalyst of change by building partnerships with ALEX AND ANI consumers, businesses, government
officials and non-profit organizations. I can also fulfill my passion of making a direct impact on the lives of others, especially in low income, under-resourced communities.

Follow ALEX AND ANI  @ALEXANDANI

NEXT HSN Queen, Carol Brodie, founder of Rarities Fine Jewelry



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