W
hen the pandemic hit, Rosa not only had to deal with the disappointment and uncertainty of having to push pause on her fine jewelry business, she also had to scramble to ensure she kept her other business—and all of its beloved staff—afloat. After speaking with Rosa, it’s immediately apparent that she is not one to shy away from a challenge but rather, she faces them head on and with an intense focus and drive, providing numerous lessons any business owner can apply to their own unique challenges.

COUTURE: You also have a thriving Architecture and Design business that you shifted the majority of your energy into at the start of the pandemic. Can you tell us how you managed to keep that afloat? What measures did you put in place with your staff? Your interactions with your clients?

Rosa Van Parys: When the pandemic hit, our Architecture and Design business was affected instantly and due to the financial crisis there was loss of income and some projects got placed on hold. I have a staff of 10 amazing people who are my work family, they are all super creative, smart, talented and caring and we have invested so much into training my team and creating a great group that we care for so much and works so well together, so I knew that we (my husband + business partner and myself) needed to do what it took to keep everyone employed, with all their medical benefits in place and with peace of mind entering an uncertain future. So I shifted all of my focus to this for few months.

We were thankful that we are all very technological so we shifted in a heartbeat to working remotely with Zoom and adapted perfectly, and also because all of our work is cloud based. We promoted daily virtual office meetings, we made them more fun, we shared a lot of thoughts, shared the news, and kept everyone informed and changed the dynamics of our project involvement so everyone could participate of the “fun” part of the design phases and keep them all motivated. We did (and still do) many virtual “lunch & learns” or “happy hours” as well. As business owners we needed to stay conservative so we had to reduce the salaries of everyone just a bit for two months and thankfully we were able to get everyone back to the normal payroll soon after. Some members of our team are parents and moms of young children so we all had to adapt to home schooling them and we -as business owners and leaders (and also parents of teens)- supported everyone with their personal needs. Our staff is our best asset and we needed them to feel safe, protected, empowered and informed.

The interactions with our clients were and are mostly remote still via Zoom meetings and we have been able to do very well like this. In our field of luxury residential Architecture and Interior Design we can do virtual presentations and share our drawings, 3D models and materials boards, especially with the feature of screen sharing. I actually love the fact that we were able to adapt so easy because now we can have projects that are remote and provide our service to anyone anywhere. Thanks for technology to allow for business like ours to stay very productive, I really think it’s the start of a new era where we can run our business remotely and be able to provide our services digitally and expand our physical limits.

COUTURE: You came into the jewelry industry while also having another thriving career in another industry. What were some of the key things you learned upon entering?

RVP: I honestly really didn’t know what I was entering. I am a go-getter, and never take no for an answer, I try without rest and always think anything is possible, so I thought I could enter the world of fine jewelry with my first collection of super high end and very pricy pieces -in the same year of launching my brand- without a problem. Well…I didn’t know what to expect and it was much harder than anticipated to say the least. Among many things, I realized that I had to prove myself beyond my talent, I learned I first had to earn the trust of the market, the buyers, the editors, etc…. I had to prove that I developed a brand that was strong enough to stay in business year after year. So I paid so much attention to the market, to what was offered, analyzed every detail, every movement, other designers lines and the story of large jewelry houses, I read about their successes and failures and I also learned that I had to keep my point of view very unique and had to have a very specific value proposition.

During my first year after launching, I went full force at promoting my brand (I dove, head first…), I barely slept that year, traveled to so many shows as a visitor to learn as much as I could about the business of jewelry, I met many people, and I also exhibited at many shows that year, none of them being the ultimate show I wanted to be part of, but knowing I had to start somewhere, and accepting the fact that it was all part of the learning experience. An expensive learning experience for sure. I was crazy to put so much pressure on myself in 2018, running my two businesses full time at once, so many deadlines, also a mom of two kids (that I barely saw that year), and trying to keep being a good leader to my staff. I was also keeping a high overhead with my jewelry business with two full time employees. I was going non-stop, thinking I could do anything. It was a successful year nonetheless, with many accomplishments and publications, I received a “Best in Show” award after exhibiting in Vegas at JCK Luxury show, on my very first year, I made an impact for sure, but I knew this was just a stepping stone to my goal. I also did so many trunk shows that year. After that year I almost broke down physically and decided to slow down and accepted the fact that I needed to grow my dream jewelry business more organically; I learned that this dream of mine needed more time to mature and that I needed to slow down to keep it sustainable. I didn’t want to burn out. I decided to stop feeling the pressure of the race (easier said than done, but yoga and meditation helped and still helps everyday… haha… really), and let things happen as they should and try to enjoy the ride.

COUTURE: You went to the Harvard Graduate School of Design, which is an incredible accomplishment! Can you tell us about the drive that led you to that milestone? You’ve also drawn a correlation between that and being accepted at COUTURE for our 2020 event. Can you elaborate on that?

RVP: Yes, I am a girl from Ecuador (born and raised), and my parents put me in a French Lycee for my entire K-12 school life. Since I can remember my parents taught me that education was everything in life and that by being a girl, it was even more important the fact that a high level of education would give us (my sister and I) freedom with our professions and in life in general, the idea was to never become dependent on anyone if we didn’t have to. So when I graduated high school I went to start my University studies in Plastic Arts in France and I lived there for two years. I realized that that was not what I wanted to do so I came back to Ecuador and started a 6-year professional degree in Architecture. I loved it since day one, it was my career. But I knew I needed to explore the world more and I had the feeling I needed to enrich my career further with post graduate studies.

When you are from Ecuador, you always dream of attending an international University, and for me it was an American school. During my undergraduate times I learned about the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, and I read that it was the top school to attend for architects from all over the world for a higher level education and degree; so many amazing architects have come out of there so that became my goal, however I had no idea how I could get in or even pay for it…hehe. So my plan was to achieve it step by step. When I graduated from my architecture degree in Ecuador with honors I applied to the University of Southern California for a Masters in Building Science -a super technical degree in structural design, basically- I knew it would be easier to get in this school, I got accepted and moved to California. I was at USC for two years but I always felt I was meant for so much more and that I needed to be inspired and challenged by higher level talent and I knew I had not achieved my dream yet. I graduated with high scholastic achievements and Suma Cum Laude so I applied to the Graduate School of Design (GSD) to do a Masters in Design, and I got in. I really could not believe it. However, I thought for a while that I had been in school for most of my 20’s and if it was advisable to go pursue a second Masters degree. But I still did and it was the best decision. I loved the entire school experience at the GSD, I met the most talented colleagues and teachers, I was so inspired by the creativity and the level of projects of students of all over the world. We also had the best teachers, and the best labs and equipment. I worked really hard while there, as I was also a research assistant to help make income for my living. For the first time in my life I felt so challenged at that level of design and I was intimidated by so many more talented and smarter people. It was the greatest feeling for two years. So when I finished my Masters there, I felt very accomplished and very proud of myself. This experience has no doubt had the greatest influence in my professional life.

I can totally relate this feeling to when I got the news that I was welcomed to be part of the COUTURE community earlier this year and that I was going to have the chance to exhibit my fine jewelry collection at a salon space in the main room, I was also so thrilled to design my salon space! In 2017 when I wrote my business plan prior to launching my brand (which was in December 2017), COUTURE was in my 5 year plan. It was a big goal for me and I made it happen. I was so proud. I had exhibited at other shows prior, but I never felt I belonged there. Looking forward to June 2020, I was planning to make a “new debut” (so to speak) at COUTURE 2020, I was ready for this amazing community to learn more about me and see what I bring to the table and the fine jewelry pieces I create. I am so excited to be part of it, even though the show couldn’t happen, and I am still looking forward for the community to know about me and my brand. I can’t wait for June 2021.

COUTURE: Tell us about some of your first experiences into the world of fine jewelry…what about this industry stood out to you as someone who has an outside perspective?

RVP: This is a good question. The first thing that stood out is that in this business there is a great amount of people who you can trust and really do a lot of business (even just with trust), but I also realized that it is so easy to get burnt if you are not prepared enough, smart enough, savvy enough. I talked (and still do) a lot to my advisors and prepared myself before making my first sales, and before sending my first items on consignment. I also learned that it is Ok to be picky as to who to establish business relationships with.

Secondly, I also learned that this is somewhat of an “old school” industry (if I may say it like this), where family generations have been in business since forever and reputation is very important.

The last thing and very important one that stood out is that as a designer, you have to have a very strong and specific point of view, you need to really know your value proposition, your product, and staying relevant is key.

COUTURE: What mistakes did you make that you can share with us so that other emerging artists may learn from your mistakes.

RVP: Well, as I mentioned on point 2, it is to learn to grow your new business at a steady pace and not rush, nor force it. The overhead, keep it lean in order to last longer; it is OK to slow down. I learned to be more realistic with my expectations. This is an expensive business so keeping low overhead and making smart financial decisions is key. In my case this is so important because I manage, run and own two full time businesses and have high running costs.

Another really important factor I have learned is to know and be very critical with your own value proposition and constantly thrive to be unique and original at all times.

A mistake that I made in my first year was to produce too many Jewelry samples without thinking it through on how they would fit into the collection. You have to learn to eliminate, be very selective even with your own designs. Being very conservative with the investment funds to create new jewelry is so important.

COUTURE: What lessons did you learn in running a successful design firm, if any, have you applied to running your fine jewelry business?

RVP: This is also a great question. I am thankful to have really successful clients in Architecture and Design who are business owners and have become my friends over time, so I am constantly listening and learning a lot from them and I am lucky that I can ask them for advice when needed.  Their advice I have applied into developing and growing Van Parys Architecture and Design and some key things I apply all the time into my jewelry business I am explaining below.

Start with an achievable yearly plan (which is part of two larger plans I have, a 5-year plan and 10-year plan), setting realistic milestones, goals and deadlines. And follow this plan thoroughly and make constant reviews. Also plan a yearly budget, allocate it to what is needed to grow the business, and manage the books on a constant basis and run quarterly financial reports.

In my case a very important thing is my time management because it’s limited, so I have to be very organized and focused and keep my staff very organized as well, I delegate as much as I can, but I am in control of my designs, the quality control of my pieces and the expenses. And when creativity strikes I work, for as long as it’s needed.

I also learned that just like in all my design projects, not all retailers are created equal, so it is OK to be selective and decide who you do business with. I know that it’s easier said than done, but I have learned to try to be in control (as much as possible) of the sales environment of where my jewelry pieces are sold and displayed. There has to be chemistry between the retailer and the designer, and the way the pieces get sold is so important to me. I design my architecture and design projects with so much passion and care and I want clients to have the best experience working with me, so I hope/expects retailers to do the same.

One last thing I can say is that by being in the architecture and design business we get involved into so many other aspects of my jewelry business, such as designing and creating our own display cases at our showroom, our own packaging, logo, graphic, imagery, show display graphics, etc… we are very visual so we enjoy all of this.

COUTURE: You went to the Harvard Graduate School of Design, which is an incredible accomplishment! Can you tell us about the drive that led you to that milestone? You’ve also drawn a correlation between that and being accepted at COUTURE for our 2020 event. Can you elaborate on that?

RVP: Yes, I am a girl from Ecuador (born and raised), and my parents put me in a French Lycee for my entire K-12 school life. Since I can remember my parents taught me that education was everything in life and that by being a girl, it was even more important the fact that a high level of education would give us (my sister and I) freedom with our professions and in life in general, the idea was to never become dependent on anyone if we didn’t have to. So when I graduated high school I went to start my University studies in Plastic Arts in France and I lived there for two years. I realized that that was not what I wanted to do so I came back to Ecuador and started a 6-year professional degree in Architecture. I loved it since day one, it was my career. But I knew I needed to explore the world more and I had the feeling I needed to enrich my career further with post graduate studies.

When you are from Ecuador, you always dream of attending an international University, and for me it was an American school. During my undergraduate times I learned about the Graduate School of Design at Harvard University, and I read that it was the top school to attend for architects from all over the world for a higher level education and degree; so many amazing architects have come out of there so that became my goal, however I had no idea how I could get in or even pay for it…hehe. So my plan was to achieve it step by step. When I graduated from my architecture degree in Ecuador with honors I applied to the University of Southern California for a Masters in Building Science -a super technical degree in structural design, basically- I knew it would be easier to get in this school, I got accepted and moved to California. I was at USC for two years but I always felt I was meant for so much more and that I needed to be inspired and challenged by higher level talent and I knew I had not achieved my dream yet. I graduated with high scholastic achievements and Suma Cum Laude so I applied to the Graduate School of Design (GSD) to do a Masters in Design, and I got in. I really could not believe it. However, I thought for a while that I had been in school for most of my 20’s and if it was advisable to go pursue a second Masters degree. But I still did and it was the best decision. I loved the entire school experience at the GSD, I met the most talented colleagues and teachers, I was so inspired by the creativity and the level of projects of students of all over the world. We also had the best teachers, and the best labs and equipment. I worked really hard while there, as I was also a research assistant to help make income for my living. For the first time in my life I felt so challenged at that level of design and I was intimidated by so many more talented and smarter people. It was the greatest feeling for two years. So when I finished my Masters there, I felt very accomplished and very proud of myself. This experience has no doubt had the greatest influence in my professional life.

I can totally relate this feeling to when I got the news that I was welcomed to be part of the COUTURE community earlier this year and that I was going to have the chance to exhibit my fine jewelry collection at a salon space in the main room, I was also so thrilled to design my salon space! In 2017 when I wrote my business plan prior to launching my brand (which was in December 2017), COUTURE was in my 5 year plan. It was a big goal for me and I made it happen. I was so proud. I had exhibited at other shows prior, but I never felt I belonged there. Looking forward to June 2020, I was planning to make a “new debut” (so to speak) at COUTURE 2020, I was ready for this amazing community to learn more about me and see what I bring to the table and the fine jewelry pieces I create. I am so excited to be part of it, even though the show couldn’t happen, and I am still looking forward for the community to know about me and my brand. I can’t wait for June 2021.

COUTURE: Let’s talk about your jewelry! Can you give us some insight into your design philosophy?

RVP: I design “Elegance with an Edge”, that is my design motto and I even registered that phrase for my brand. I think that as a person, your fashion is a way of expression and it says a lot about you. Your jewelry is the best accessory to wear if you want to make a statement. However, I believe that fine jewelry should be worn daily to amortize the financial investment of it (and for it not to live in a safe most days and just be used on special occasions). So I design my pieces to be worn casually with jeans during the day and also with a cocktail dress for the evening. My pieces are edgy, fun and colorful; my RVP collection of necklaces, pendants and earring danglers is very versatile and the parts can mix and match and create multiple combination possibilities. I have an obsession with Pearls, with fine pearls, and also with large perfect pearls. I make pearls edgy, fun and young, I add 18k Gold daggers to these beautiful and almost pristine gems, I give them a “rock and roll” aesthetic. I am constantly designing new and more detailed daggers, I embellish them with diamonds and precious color stones. I aim to design unique pieces, relevant and super edgy.

Of course my career in Architecture and design influences my designs every day, I am constantly thinking about composition, balance, form, symmetry and color for all my pieces. I always think about how my designs will evolve, I think about modularity and how to use this in the design evolutions.

Lastly, I want to create new trends not just follow them; my clients have  become collectors of my pieces because they love what I design and are always thrilled to see what new designs are on the works and I really enjoy that. I really enjoy designing and making custom pieces for them.

I want my collection to always be recognizable as a piece designed by Rosa Van Parys.

COUTURE: What’s the next evolution of your collection and some of the philosophy that’s driving that? (I know you’re making “baby” versions of your signature pieces, as an example.)

RVP: I am constantly thinking about what I can eliminate from my collection, as I want it to become more streamlined, more selective and more well thought of. This season I have a good amount of very beautiful pearl pendants and gold + precious stone dagger pendants that are truly candy-like, one-of-a-kind and are so hard to pick from. I usually spend a long time designing them with balance, symmetry, composition and color in mind, just like little works of art. Also, I just released a new chunkier “Links 3.0” necklace that comes in two sizes that is also very unique and fine.

I am very pleased to say that this year I just launched my “Mini Me” collection (which has been in my head since last year), which is a little sister version of my RVP collection of interchangeable necklaces and pendants, just “Petite” size. I think it was so important for the development of my brand to offer a more approachable collection at a lesser cost, but still being very beautiful and so unique, with the same point of view as the rest of the collection.

I also just released two months ago the very first few pieces of my Men’s jewelry line, which also includes intricate dagger pendants, our signature chain necklaces and beautiful rings. I have many more pieces coming to continue adding to the men’s collection, some these will include Pearls, of course!

So to end it, I hope to keep developing the brand that I have already established, grow it stronger, smartly and I hope for my fine jewelry designs to be recognizable worldwide.