Self-Expression is a Girl’s Best Friend
Self-made female influencer, business owner, and designer — Stella Simona — has rocked the fashion world with her unique and personable jewelry and art. Her unwavering attention to detail and uniqueness, paired with her focus on what can amplify the power and individuality of each woman who wears her designs, has put Simona in a position to lead the beauty and fashion industries in a short amount of time.
“Follow your intuition and life will feel full”
Stella Simona is a modern day creative and entrepreneur headquartered in Los Angeles, California. Mother to two sweet boys, Noah and Kohl, this working mom is all about art, beauty, and passion. For this jewelry designer and content creator, self-expression is the most important aspect of her professional livelihood. “My self-discovery journey has always been intertwined with my love for fashion, beauty, and art. My message [to my audience] is self care — take care of yourself, follow your intuition and life will feel full,” heartens Simona. Her introduction to jewelry was a part of her early road to self-discovery as a young child. “I believe what we end up pursuing as adults is based on something that we became exposed to at a young age,” states the artist, “whether we realize it or not.” As a first-generation Bangladeshi-American, Simona remembers with reverence and love the way that her grandmother used to travel to Bangladesh, returning with gifts of precious stones and jewelry. “One year, she asked me to sketch out what I wanted, and that summer when she returned from her travels she had brought my sketches to life,” shares the now designer with grateful grin. “At the time, I didn’t think to myself that I would be a designer one day, but without realizing it that seed had been planted.”
That simply placed seed would later sprout into not just one, but two successful ventures for Simona. Just shy of ten years ago, the designer co-launched her own sister labels – Amarilo Jewlery and Haati Chai Jewlery – captivating beholders with their unique designs and simplistic beauty. “We have a unique story,” reminisces Simona. “My cofounder Ali originally founded Amarilo and I had founded Haati Chai in 2011. We met a few years in, and then eventually made a strategic decision to join both companies. For both of us, jewelry has always played a key part in our identities. Jewelry was our first loves, and without jewelry all these years we would be lost. It brought us freedom, a way to practice self-expression, and a way to claim our identities as women. For both brands, our mission is to offer women pieces that can do the same for them, too.”
They say two is better than one, and Simona was happy to tell us why. “In a nutshell, Amarilo (nuancing the Spanish word for ‘yellow’) offers classic pieces that you may have seen your grandmother or aunt wearing growing up. The pieces are minimal and focused on comfort and practicality. They are designed in 10k and 14k gold, and at an attainable price. This is our introductory fine brand. There are educational components involved. The customer most likely doesn’t know too much about fine jewelry, she’s trend focused, and is someone who is learning how solid gold can improve their lifestyle.” Haati Chai (meaning “elephant” and “tea” — two great joys reflecting Simona’s culture), on the other hand, is Amarlio’s compliment label, designed to offer heirloom jewelry designed in 14k and 18k gold. “There is a strong narrative that pays homage to my native roots, as well as a lot of storytelling in the design referencing old world design elements,” shares Simona. “The customer who invests in Haati Chai is familiar with gold, and has a more authentic style. She tends to seek out pieces that are one of a kind.”
Photographer: Michael Stark
The two jewelry lines are like true sisters in that they do resemble each other, but each exude their own identities. “The beautiful thing is we see a lot of crossover,” beams the designer, “and once our Amarilo woman begins to mature her taste in jewelry, she begins to invest in a lot of the premium designs at Haati Chai as well.” This business design is perhaps one of the key aspects lending to the brands collaborative success. Of course, Simona’s personal style comes into play as well, seeing as her tastes and world travels inspire all aspects of her designs. “I’ve always treated accessories as the more bold detail of any ensemble. I like to wear well-tailored, muted silhouettes that contrast well with accessories,” shares the tastemaker. It seems that, for Simona, the clothes are worn to bring out the best in the accessories, rather than the other way around. “I’m all about comfort and luxury,” she adds; “fine jewelry that can be worn every day and layered up or simplified down to really speak to a busy woman’s lifestyle. All our designs are created with this in mind.”
Another theme that Stella touches so nicely on in her branding is diversity, and embracing cultures for the beauty and authenticity that they have to offer. “The amazing thing about our collections is that they are timeless,” exclaims the designer, “and for Amarilo, we just launched our collaboration with Honey & Silk, which is one piece — ‘Universe’ in Chinese.” The collaboration centers on the ongoing theme of identity, giving a voice to anyone who appreciates Chinese culture and the Chinese diaspora. This focus on culture, beauty, and uniqueness is what draws so many people to Simona’s jewelry lines. and the designer does her best to ensure that the quality and standard of each piece brings justice to the story behind it. “Fast fashion is draining, so why put your energy into shopping for a whole new wardrobe over and over,” questions Simona. “Instead, treat your style like an art form and slowly invest in quality pieces over time that you see yourself using for a long period of time, if not a lifetime.” This method of wardrobe building and overall daily styling offers much more peace in the act of dressing, for “ dressing up becomes a relaxing process when you simplify all the steps.”
“The amazing thing about our collections is that they are timeless”
With her statement pieces displayed on a global scale, we were eager to uncover Simona’s findings on fashion around the world. The designer has taken note that American culture tends to be all about “wanting what everyone else has,” whereas elsewhere individuality is very important and people want to invest in something unique and of good quality. A longtime advocate for the statements of accessories, the designer further revealed her jewelry box staples being, “honestly, a little bit of everything. Hoop earrings, bracelets, necklaces to layer, and at least one staple piece that looks nothing like what anyone else owns, but really reflects your personality.” That one piece for her: “The Amarilo ‘Jules Anklet’. Anklets are everything,” expresses the designer, “and this piece I cannot get enough of. I never take it off.”
At the end of the day, Simona’s ultimate goal is to bring her passion for jewelry and accessorizing to the masses, in a unique and powerful way that emboldens each woman who invests in her wearable art. In addition to launching more co-branded collections, Simona is also planning to expand Haati Chai into the world of Home and Lifestyle.
