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LA’s own Jacquie Aiche, rockstar designer and head of the #JATribe, started building her brand over ten years ago from a daybed in her living room. Her crazy-successful business has since expanded, taking over Hollywood’s It crowd as well as her two-bedroom house nestled in the palm trees of a busy Beverly Hills street.
Aiche designs on a piece-by-piece basis rather than "collections" and uses minerals like tourmaline, moonstone, and labradorite to create her one-of-a-kind pieces that retail anywhere from $125 to $50,000. If we need to name-drop, her unique designs have been worn by Anna Kendrick and Rosie Huntington-Whiteley and Rihanna as of late.
When you first started, how did you know where to find minerals?I’ve always been a hunter. I grew up in the Hollywood Hills and we didn’t ride bikes, we were always climbing the mountains and I would find chunks of Fool’s Gold and little rocks. I always collected rocks.
How do you begin each design?Most start with the gemstones and the minerals. I pull my trays out and I’ll have a moment and go through everything and tune into what colors I want to go for and just have a party with all my gemstones. Then I’ll take them to my desk and start sketching.
Which piece epitomizes the brand?The finger bracelet. It was born in 2009 when all the jewelry was going to a punk stage and everybody was doing spikes. It was a really dark moment that I was not into at all so I tuned into the Middle Eastern side of me and was really inspired. I wanted to create something that was a little more sensual and sexy.
What is the Jacquie Aiche aesthetic?Boho. Rich Hippie.
What pieces do you personally throw on as you’re leaving the house?Finger bracelet, pinky ring and a good necklace.
What about those denim shirts?Last year we went to Paris and I wanted to make an effect, like a girl gang, so we all got off the plane in our leather jackets. Then we did the denim shirts because they were a little bit lower-priced.
What’s next for JA?We have a few collaborations at the moment.
Where does an LA native go to unwind?We love Dominick’s, always. Café Stella in Silverlake is another one of our favorites and I’m a yoga girl.