Esmeralda Lambert, who owns and operates a local jewelry line of the same name, credits the local innovation climate for her business – at least, partially. The number of compliments she received on her jewelry, which came from her home country of the Dominican Republic, also helped inspire her to action.
"I was in an environment that encouraged people to start their own business," said Lambert over a phone call made from the Dominican.
Lambert received her MBA from Babson College in 2010, and three years later, she launched her company with her husband, Matthew Lambert, a fellow Babson graduate. After many women asked where to find that artisan jewelry Lambert wore, and even a few inquiries to buy it from her, she realized there was a market for the colorful, Latin- and Caribbean-inspired pieces in her new home of Massachusetts.
After deciding to start her business, Lambert knew the only way to build the genuine jewelry line she desired would be to sell only artisan, handmade items made in the Dominican – and in doing so, she could also create jobs for women living on her home island.
Nearly two years after launching in early 2013 (and becoming a MassChallenge semifinalist in 2014), the Esmeralda Lambert jewelry line sells handcrafted pieces in their e-commerce store, in local boutiques and through trunk shows. The company currently employs six women in the Dominican Republic who make the artisan necklaces, earrings and bracelets before sending them to the U.S. to be sold. This was possible with the help of Lambert's mother, Lucila Vargas, the "boots on the ground" team member who also has retail and management experience in the Dominican.
According to Lambert, the artisans are able to work from home as they make the jewelry, and can therefore continue to care for their families while earning money on their own schedules. Lambert frequently visits the Dominican in order to catch up with her team and teach them new skills, like how to manage inventory and use Microsoft Excel.
"The whole idea is for them to be able to teach other women to do this, because after they have the skill, they can come on board with our business, and they can start working," said Lambert. "[The current artisans] have been teaching other women already, and as the business grows, we’ll have more people on board. And after we teach them, they’ll have that skill forever."
When it comes to hand-weaving the jewelry, Lambert said that different pieces require different skill sets. A simple set of earrings, for instance, can take just 30 minutes, while a more labor intensive piece – "a statement necklace that could be worn at the Oscars," according to Lambert – can take a skilled artisan up to three days. These pieces are saved for the most advanced designers.
The jewelry is distinguished by its Latin and Caribbean influences, as well as the handmade origins, but according to Lambert, what sets the jewelry apart is how lightweight the statement pieces are.
"If you wear nice, big earrings, you have to take them off after a while. It's like when you’re wearing stilettos: you feel beautiful, but after a while you have to take them off," said Lambert. "We wanted to create a statement piece that looks like you’re wearing stilettos, but with the feel of flats." Lambert isn't selling stilettos or flats, but she is focusing on comfort.
So with a selection of big earrings that won't weigh down earlobes and light-as-a-feather, yet intricate necklaces, the business felt more attuned to the brick-and-mortar world of retail, rather than just e-commerce, since, as Lambert pointed out, you can't tell how light the pieces are online. (Or how sparkly, she added.) Collections from the Esmeralda Lambert line can be found in several area boutiques, including L'Attitude in Faneuil Hall, Dresscode in Andover and TisTik in Cambridge. Find the complete list of partner boutiques here.
As of now, Lambert doesn't have any plans to open her own store, nor intentions to move the jewelry line's production to somewhere they can mass-produce.
"People who shop boutiques really care about where their items come from; they want to see that it’s not 'Made in China,' and that it’s unique," said Lambert. "And when they see that they’re also helping women in a third world country, they want to support them."
In addition to keeping production in the Dominican Republic, Lambert said she hopes to keep the business family-funded. After recruiting her husband and mother as well as her brother to work for the company, she raised money through the same support system. According to Lambert, "all businesses in the Dominican are family businesses," and unless they have to, they won't reach out for outside funding.
Esmeralda Lambert will, however, reach out to raise awareness in the local community. This month, the company launched their newest fall/winter collection, which can currently be seen at the Accessories Showcase during StyleWeek Northeast 2014 in Providence, Rhode Island. They also have plans to participate in Boston Fashion Week, will be the jewelry sponsor of the upcoming Miss Rhode Island, and previously sponsored the Miss Black Massachusetts and Miss Black USA pageants, in order to gain exposure and become active in the local and national scenes.
Learn more about Esmeralda Lambert's mission, and how to support the company's cause, in the video below.
Images courtesy of Esmeralda Lambert
