Launched from a kitchen table in Notting Hill, Astrid & Miyu is a company created by Connie Nam and is a business that has been on a monumental journey since its inception in 2012. Here, RLI sits down with Connie, the Founder and CEO to discuss the company’s rise and what the next goals are for the jewellery brand.
Looking back, Nam immediately accepts it was a massive gamble to start Astrid & Miyu (A&M), but because of her passion for jewellery and her sheer determination to succeed, the business has grown from an idea in a London flat to achieving cult status among celebrities and today can count influencers such as Jessica Alba and Pippa Middleton as ambassadors of the brand.
“We are known for our perfectly curated ear and our signature stacks and this went hand-in-hand with our piercing studios which we began in 2018. In 2019 we also added tattooing and these combined services resulted in a like-for-like turnover boost of 350 per cent that year,” explains Connie Nam, Founder & CEO of Astrid & Miyu.
“We are now more than just a jewellery brand – we are a movement; inspiring a community of people to celebrate one another and express their individuality and diversity.”
Due to phenomenal growth in a short period of time, the company already operates four stores, two concessions and employs more than 80 staff. They have also run a successful pop-up in SoHo, New York and during the lockdown period last year they signed a lease and fitted out a store in Notting Hill, which will open its doors when safe it is to do so.
Like all businesses, Covid-19 is the largest hurdle A&M has and is continuing to overcome. Despite a lot of success last year, the pandemic inevitably set back their expansion plans, so their objectives this year will focus on continuing to build and nurture their online community both in the UK and abroad to pave the way for physical expansion in the future.
“Because of the effects of the pandemic, we have seen a large shift towards online, so shoppable social is naturally presenting huge opportunities for brands like ours and our e-commerce sales and I feel this is the next step in experiential marketing and will benefit customers massively,” says Nam.
The last physical launch for the business was its Covent Garden store in 2019, but Connie has international ambitions for the brand after building up a loyal fan base stateside through online marketing and their three pop-ups in New York.
They are planning to open more stores in 2021 and 2022 and branch out into more UK regions, particularly Cambridge and Brighton, whilst the wheels are in motion for locations in Newcastle, Leeds, Glasgow and Edinburgh. Internationally, aside from the US, Berlin is a market the business is looking to enter in the next 18 months.
A&M love to create new and fun products for their customers and seeing their reactions to them is what drives them forward to continue innovating and producing new items. “Our customers are at the core of our product development and, as we expand internationally, we will ensure we observe and listen to our local customers and consider their feedback in our new collection launches,” Nam comments.
As the future of retail will lean heavily on brand experience, A&M engages with its customers in and out of its stores. In store, they provide an experience and human interaction that just cannot be replicated anywhere else, whilst online they provide a community space for their customers, sharing content and inspiration that is a continuation of their stores.
“Most of our customers first interact with our brand via our social media accounts, and usually through Instagram as it is so visual and user-friendly. Social media is certainly a point of inspiration for us and our customers and that is part of its purpose – to be an extension of a brand’s content creation along with an e-commerce channel,” Nam explains.
A&M is all about empowerment for its colleagues and customers. The idea behind the brand is to create an environment where individuality, creativity, passion, collaboration and kindness thrive. Their culture is one that encourages diversity and, as a female-founded company, they are all about inspiring other women, as well as all of humanity.
“We look after each other, our customers and community because our success is collective. We have a passion for people and give back to society through our charity partnerships and CSR initiatives.”
Connie’s vision for A&M was to create beautiful jewellery and to always stay in tune with what customers wanted. In the future she would like the company to become the global cult jewellery brand, and with a growing customer base that really care about the brand and help them to grow and develop, she feels this vision is achievable.
“The biggest challenge going forward as we grow will be how we maintain our strong community and culture and continue to build that magical experience for our customers and staff. As a brand, I think it is important to take risks and innovate to be a leader rather than a follower.”
