From LA to Sydney, Melissa Harris Jewellery has flourished for 20 years in a saturated industry. Melinda Oliver explores the secrets behind her success.
Glenmore Road in Sydney’s fashion forward suburb of Paddington is a hub of top Australian fashion labels, with Willow, Camilla and Marc, Zimmerman and Ksubi just some of the trendy names on the block. Nestled among them is jewellery designer Melissa Harris, who, even among these brands, is a drawcard rather than side-show on the street.
Over sushi and miso soup in a chic cafe opposite her store, Harris reflects on 20 successful years in an industry that sees thousands of jewellery brands launch but not always survive.
“It is the point of difference and individuality,” she says of her longevity. “I’m fairly driven. They say its 10 per cent perspiration, 90 per cent perseverance.”
Mixing artistic flair with business acumen has been also essential. “While the design side is creative and fun, if you don’t get on top of the business side you will get into trouble,” she says.
Harris started her career as a makeup artist on film sets in LA and took up jewellery making as a hobby. She sold her pieces to actors and directors, before realising she could make a business from her passion.
After 16 years in the US, wholesaling to numerous stores and creating bespoke pieces for celebrity clients, Australia beckoned.
Starting at the Paddington and Rocks markets, Harris found a customer base for her individual, sculpturally inspired designs. Over time, she shifted towards a fine jewellery approach, yet retained a unique, artistic handwriting.
“We are still different; we are certainly not mainstream, but we appeal to customers who are looking for something quite individual. We do a lot of custom-made work as well,” she says.
While declining to reveal a price range, she acknowledges the cost varies due to the materials and time involved in each item.
Harris, who employs two other jewellers, then opened a store in the Sydney suburb of Surry Hills before moving into the city, upstairs at The Strand Arcade.
“That was really interesting, to learn a new side to the market that was more mainstream,” she says.
Five years later, she decided that operating in a street level store “rather than in an ivory tower” would be more suitable. Paddington proved the answer.
“I’ve been enjoying retailing,” she says. “I did my fair share of wholesaling in the US and I do look towards wholesaling again.
“I’m working on developing an appropriate wholesale line and looking at [accounts] outside of Sydney.”
Prior to the global financial crisis, Harris approached stores in Los Angeles to stock her collection but has ceased plans until the US economic climate improves.
The challenge of branching out is just one of the few Harris has faced. She cites establishing brand awareness in a saturated market as one hurdle.
“People are sometimes wary of being taken advantage of by jewellers,” she says. “[You have to] build a reputation for quality and establish what you stand for.”
Plagiarism is another issue. “That happens quite a bit. I had cause to confront somebody at a jewellery trade show last year. I couldn’t tell whether I’d made it myself or if they had made it,” she says.
Harris does not follow trends, but rather focuses on unique designs for people to treasure. Gold, white gold and a touch of silver are key materials used, while coloured gemstones and diamonds add glamour.
A body of work called the ‘Botanical Collection’ is constantly updated, as Harris enjoys the potential for asymmetrical designs and texture the range allows. Over the years, Harris has found customers increasingly open to new ideas.
“They are getting much more educated and much more interested in the process of getting something personalised, rather than fall back on the same thing everyone else is wearing,” she says.
In addition to local clients, Harris lists a number of celebrities who have adorned her pieces, including Cate Blanchett, Elton John, Susan Sarandon, Jodie Foster and Michelle Pfeiffer.
The global financial crisis has made the jewellery trade tougher, says Harris, but she was prepared for the hit.
“We cleared out excess, we cut costs, we were careful with Christmas – and we really nailed it in terms of what sort of stock we needed available. It [trade] has certainly bounced back in the past few months.”
As for the next 20 years, Harris intends to make her business “bigger, better and with much wider reach”.
Opening new retail stores in Australia is on the wish list. She is also keen to ramp up the engagement and wedding jewellery aspect of the business.
Always on the lookout for complementary brands to stock in her store, she hopes to travel more to track down unique designers. Currently, labels Me&Ro, Siobhan Way, Kristina Brenke, Sue Girdwood and Whitney Howard are in the mix.
“I must say it feels like the blink of an eye,” she says of the past 20 years. “The most important thing for me is to make the customers happy.”