Cool Hunting

With stockists all over Australia as well as a sprinkling in the States and New Zealand, Sydney's Lola&Bailey is rapidly gaining cult status for eclectic, off-beat and charming jewelery that merges old-fashioned femininity with modern detailing. With collection names like "When Lola Met Bailey" and "The First Kiss" the label injects a sense of romance into every outfit, conjuring up images of whimsical lovers and unforgettable moments. CH caught up with the duo behind Lola&Bailey, Cheri Uppal and Theresa Nguyen, to chat about romance, design and wearing your heart on your sleeve.

When did you begin Lola&Bailey?
Lola&Bailey began less than a year out of yearning to create beautiful and intriguing design products that are a reflection of the user. It was essentially a desire to build a business—a brand, and ultimately be responsible creatively for what we create. We both enjoy the process of collaborating and experimenting with different materials and techniques; it's the delight in realizing scribbles on paper into actual products that continues to inspire us. Ultimately we wanted something we could call our own.

What makes Lola&Bailey better than other labels?
Lola&Bailey goes beyond pure decoration, each design tells a multi-layered story bringing the wearer along with this conceptual and romantic journey. We see jewelery as an interactive dialogue between the wearer and the piece itself, as a consequence a piece may look different each time it is worn—depending on the interpretation from the wearer. We like our customers to have as much wearing them as we had designing them!

What was the biggest obstacle in getting started?
Confidence. Ideas are plentiful and easy to have, but actually having the confidence to put yourself out there, into the public realm, is like wearing your heart on your sleeve. Lucky for us it has been received really well, both internationally and here in Australia.

Are you able to make a living from this or do you both work other jobs to pay the rent?
At the moment we are focusing on building a successful business so we can make a living out of it, therefore everything we make we reinvest back into the business. In the meantime, we both work in design and advertising agencies as Art Directors. Our focus moving forward will be trying to break into the U.S. market.

Where do you stock?
Online you can find Lola&Bailey at Moda Muse, Shop Moose and The Crazy Beautiful Store. In th U.S., we're at Room 30 (Olympia, Washington) and in New Zealand at Madame Fancy Pants (Wellington). For Australian stockists, email us at info [at] lolaandbailey [dot] com.