For the latest in our series of editorials focusing on Irish Women in Business, we’re talking to Ciara McKenna and Kim Knowles of Coldlilies.
College friends Ciara and Kim came together to create Coldlilies- a beautiful yet practical online site that provides a showroom for über talented jewellery designers.
Both women had fully fledged careers before launching the online curation of gorgeous jewels: Kim was working in financial services and Ciara was a barrister before they joined forces on this project.
Although they chatted openly about the pitfalls that launching a start-up can involve, their enthusiasm and love for what they do is tangible.
“It was stressful finding the right people to work with, be they employees or industry partners but working for myself and alongside my best friend makes up for all the minor stresses,” said Kim.
While both women were relatively confident about their marketing skills when the project was just starting out, the technical side of it was a little more testing.
“It’s hard to find someone who is an expert in this field, especially within the fashion industry. It’s a difficult niche to tap into and that was one of the biggest problems we encountered,” said Ciara.
Sable Chain Necklace by Capulet & Montague, €80
This is not a 9-5 job and both women admit that starting out takes a huge amount of work. “It takes over your life, and your life fits around it,” added Ciara.
Travel is a huge part of their business and one which they relish.
Guatemala, Beirut, Asia and Australia were just some of the destinations Kim and Ciara ventured to with their previous careers, market stalls and bazaar browsing expeditions provided inspiration for Coldlilies.
Collecting one-off pieces on their travels engineered a desire to bring amazing finds and stand-out statement buys for women world over.
While they already spend a lot of time in London on Coldlilies business, New York is also becoming an important destination in terms of contacts with news designers and investors.
“We would hope to bring the brand offline in time. It’s difficult to say what will happen but the way in which people shop is changing all the time. Showcases are becoming more and more popular, with people coming to an space or event, choosing a piece they like and having it delivered to their home.”
The site has performed extremely well to date but to bring it to the next level, investment is an important factor in their future plans.
Success happened gradually and not without hard work, but this dream team soon began to see a return on their dedication.
“Designers began approaching us, instead of the other way around, which made all the hard work worthwhile” explained Ciara.
Coldlilies was inspired by a desire to cater to the needs of style conscious and web savvy women. Bringing them an edit of the unique, hand-crafted and trend led pieces on the market is what the site aims to deliver.
When Kim and Ciara are asked what their favourite designer is from the site, it’s immediately obvious that picking a single talent just isn’t an option.
Glow For Gold Pendant, €195 by Natasha Sherling
Both profess to a love of Kat & Bee rings while Kim has a grá for the modern aesthetic of home-grown designer Capulet & Montague.
Ciara’s Natasha Sherling gold circle chain was a talking point in the interview as it’s the epitome of a timeless classic.
Playing with jewellery every day, sourcing new talent and driving a successful business forward… this duo are sure to make Coldlilies the last word in style success.
To see what deliciousness Coldlilies has to offer, check out the site here.
Believe us when we say, there is a lot to choose from… enter at your own peril!
