The fine jewellery game can be a bit of a conundrum. Sure, you have your OG behemoth brands that have been in business for hundreds of years—David Yurman, Tiffanys, etc.—but if you’re looking for something new and cool (and preferably affordable), where to go? Enter The Last Line. I recently found this brand after falling into a K-hole=like trance on Instagram in search of everyday fine jewelry that wouldn’t cost me an arm and a leg. The Last Line popped up—it’s a favorite of Paloma Elsesser, Rachel Zoe, Katy Perry and Miley Cyrus—and I was entranced.
The Last Line’s M.O. is all in its name: Founder Shelly Gibbs Sanders wants it to be your last stop for high-quality staples, like gold hoops or the perfect diamond band. Because everything is sold directly to you, the prices are cheaper than if you bought them in a traditional big box store. Ahead, more from Sanders on the brand that’s taking It-girls’ jewelry game by storm.
Shelly Gibbs Sanders
Courtesy of the brand
Where did the idea for The Last Line first come from?
It was a long time coming. I had been working in the industry since graduating college but always designing for someone else, from celebrity jewelry brands to high-end jewelry houses. The timing didn’t feel right until three years ago. I was professionally and personally ready for a change and there was a space we could fill in the market. After doing lots of research, I found you could categorize the options into two buckets: reasonably priced, not-so-great design or amazing design and outrageous prices. I am a jewelry designer, but more than anything I am a consumer: I love jewelry and I found those options so frustrating. I knew I could create a line that spoke to someone just beginning to invest in fine jewelry. To an established collector, I would present classics in the most perfect version (like our recent The Tennis collection) and pepper in fun pieces.
Courtesy of the retailer
How has Instagram affected your business?
We chose to launch direct-to-consumer and began teasing pieces on Instagram a few months ahead of launch. It was crazy to see people’s response and excitement. I love that Instagram is a direct channel to our customer and we can engage with them, instantly! It’s also been a bit of a crowd-sourcing model for us: The people have spoken and they wanted white gold options, so voila, we introduced them. I love to be reactionary in a good way and Instagram has helped us to do so.
Who is The Last Line Girl?
The TLL girl is definitely not fussy; she’s fun, a little irreverent and wants pieces she can wear. There is a lot of nostalgia in the line and I think our customer sees that. One of my goals with TLL is to create pieces you can wear everyday that become part of your personal style. For me, it’s how a woman mixes her jewelry collection that is cool. I design pieces that should be worn and not worried about.
Why do you use the “drop” model for releasing product?
Truthfully, I love to create; I always want to do more. You know when they say, “It’s a marathon, not a sprint…” that’s difficult for me, I’m a sprinter! I have so many ideas, but people can only digest so much at once. So we’re breaking down the line into drops or mini-collections. We started with only earrings and just recently introduced new categories. Jewelry is seasonless, but I’ve learned with retail you have to pace it to keep it exciting for everyone, myself included.
Courtesy of the brand
What’s really selling?
People look for staples: huggies, graduated hoops and studs in multiple sizes. They’re mixing and matching up the ear. We get a lot of people saying they could never find something in this size. For example, in the gold sphere stud, we have 6 sizes, if I want to be the last place you need to go to for fine jewelry, you need options.
From: ELLE UK
