Dauphine Q&A x MARLI New York Founder - Maral Artinian
Step aside luxury jewelery labels, there's a new cool girl in town - MARLI New York.Born in 2014, Marli is redefining minimalism with distinctive, original design, artisanal craftsmanship and precious materials. To get better aquatinted with this new company, Dauphine had the opportunity to interview Marli's Founder, Maral Artianian and give our readers a preview at the newest Marli collection, just in time for the holidays!Founder of Marli New York - Maral ArtinianD: Can you give those who are unfamiliar with Marli New York & yourself a bit of insight on your career journey, the company's background, and how it became what it is today?
M: I was born in Armenia, into a family of jewellers. Since I was 18, I’ve worked alongside my father and brothers, working hands on in the family business of jewelry. I love beautiful jewels and have been very fortunate to have a life surrounded by it.My journey with Marli began as early as 2012, with my vision of a brand that fulfills what I felt was lacking in the market – chic, versatile, luxe minimalism that is both relevant and timeless while still affordable! Two years later in 2014, Marli New York was officially born – as something beyond just a passion project, but what I felt was both an organic product of my lifetime of experience working with jewelry, and also a strategic step to create a brand of my own as a woman catering to other jewelry loving women. While the brand is still very new, we’ve very fortunately had an incredible reception since our launch, and we attribute this to what we feel is the versatility and relate-ability of the collection aesthetic to the modern woman.
D: How does Marli stand out in such a large competitive industry? What is different about the way the pieces are made?
M: Marli New York is distinctly modern minimalist in aesthetic – clean, classic, chic, timeless and versatile. The design is simple and understated, while still sophisticated and luxe. All Marli jewelry is made with 18k gold of different colours – yellow, white, rose. The gold is often combined with a variety of both precious & semi-precious stones that range from diamonds, onyx, agate, lapis, turquoise, jade. While all jewelry is designed from our headquarter office in NYC, they are manufactured in a private facility in Bangkok, owned by my family who has more than 20 years of experience in jewelry making. With the product development team and our artisanal craftsmen in Bangkok, we are constantly exploring new techniques, giving the highest attention to the smallest of details in the construction. One technique that we love and are constantly reinventing, is the flex technique that we use in all our pieces which enable the jewelry to remain incredibly light while maintaining substantial size.
D: Who is the Marli woman?
M: The Marli woman is the modern woman, who is both fashion savvy and confident. I believe that true style begins with confidence, and Marli jewels can be worn confidently by women knowing that the products are both affordable and wearable in nearly all occasions! Our jewels are accessible to all women – quality fine jewelry that is neither intimidating in price nor overwhelming in aesthetic. The Marli woman appreciates versatile jewelry that can be worn from day to night, from a business meeting to a girls night happy hour, to a cocktail party. Marli jewelry can be worn solo or layered with other Marli pieces.
D: What are some of your favourite pieces from your most recent collection?
M: I particularly love the Deco and Cleo collections from the series of collections that we recently launched for the fall/winter season. Deco most directly captures the spirit of Marli – as with the Art Deco style which I love, Marli embraces the opulence of architectural minimalism that transcends time and trends. Cleo is perfect for holiday with the fun pop of colour that it offers for each style, available in multiple gold & semi-precious stone combinations.
D: What are the staple items that every woman should have in her jewelry box?
M: A timeless, updated classic – Marli jewelry!