Today we’d like to introduce you to Ashley Green.
Hi Ashley, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
My sister Emily and I started our business 22 years ago. I was working as an intern in NYC and Emily was in licensing at Tommy Hilfiger. While shopping one day, we bought each other bracelets that broke within weeks and while having lunch one day, we decided to walk into a bead store and get some replacement beads and memory wire to design our own. Within weeks friends and family were asking to purchase our designs. By that November, we had so many orders that our family became our production team to produce an order for Neiman Marcus. We never imagined this would become our full-time career but within months, we were fulfilling orders around the world. From our first company, greenbeads, we then formed our fine jewelry line Emily & Ashley in 2005.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I don’t think owning your own business is ever a smooth road! There have been ups and downs. We were very lucky to have Neimans as our first order, followed by Saks, Dillards and Bergdorf Goodman. But trends come and go and one minute you are the hottest new item and then someone new comes in. We constantly must evolve while always staying true to ourselves. Emily and I soon realized that fine jewelry was where we belonged. We design classic pieces that never go out of style and that can be passed down from generation to generation -jewelry that has meaning and makes you feel unique.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
Our jewelry is very personal. We love mixing new with vintage and taking what you already own and styling it with new pieces from our collection. We are known for our use of color and our personalized charm necklaces and bracelets. We love having a personal relationship with our clients and that is why pivoting from traditional retail to direct to consumer has been so important and rewarding for us. Doing trunk shows and meeting our clients face to face is what we love! We are most proud that 22 years later, our clients keep coming back to us and that 22 years later as sisters and business partners, we are still best friends!
What do you like best about our city? What do you like least?
We love that Miami has a little bit of everything! Moving from NYC, we were worried that we would lose the fast-paced social and business environment we thrived in for 22 years. Boy, were we wrong! Miami is so vibrant and really is thriving. We love going to the beach with our family on the weekends, trying new restaurants, paddle boarding, and taking the kids to explore different parts of the city. Our only complaint so far would be the traffic, but that’s a small price to pay to work and live in paradise.
Contact Info:
- Email: sales@emilyandashley.com
- Website: www.EmilyandAshley.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/emilyandashley/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Emily-Ashley-67584825298/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/EandAJewels
