Celebrating International Women’s Day with our Founder, Kiki McDonough
To celebrate International Woman’s Day, we sat down with our founder, Kiki McDonough, to discuss her inspiring career. Kiki began her business 39 years ago and has built an international brand, having spotted a gap in the market for coloured gemstones and more affordable fine jewellery. Having been one of the first successful women to make it in the jewellery industry, Kiki can now look back on what she has built with an abundance of knowledge and pride for how far she has come.
Who was your inspiration growing up and why?
Looking back, my mother was an inspiration because she was French and so chic and beautiful, so I grew up aware of fashion and how important it was.
What inspires your designs and new launches?
I love the feedback from my clients, they tell me what they like, which designs and shapes they like but ultimately, my lifestyle inspires my designs because I want to make jewellery I can wear as much as possible.
What’s your favourite part about working in a female-only team?
The fun we have! Having a female-only team is very easy, everybody gets on, we have lots to chat about and there’s always something funny going on. I can safely say if you ask any member of my team over the past 40 years what it was like working at Kiki McDonough, they will all say they had a huge amount of fun.
What advice would you give to other aspiring businesswomen?
You will have a rollercoaster of a ride and you will love it, but it will be a lot of hard work and you need to be disciplined and determined.
