From Law to Larceny: Jewellery designer talks building a business in Lockdown
Although Lockdown was a time of stress and uncertainty, it was also an opportunity to express one’s creativity, be it baking, renovating, or for many, starting a business. For Jim Law, Lockdown was the perfect time for him to leave his profession as a solicitor and pursue his life long passion for jewellery. With no distractions and a ton of inspiration, Larceny was born.
Law’s appreciation for jewellery stems from his childhood, from watching his mother and grandmother have bespoke pieces made, to designing a piece with his mother in 2014. It was then that he realised his passion for jewellery went beyond appreciating it and into designing it too.
“It took some time before I launched Larceny. I went back to Malaysia for several months and, during that time, I formed a friendship with my manufacturer. His family was my grandmother’s go-to for bespoke jewellery, and my mum still visits them when she wants something made. Once I had established this special relationship, nothing could hold me back when I got back to New Zealand.”
Law spent Lockdown creating his debut collection ‘Khan,’ which he says needed to be fresh, original and different from others within the market. Authentically inspired, the collection plays tribute to his love for architecture with simple yet bold pieces designed to empower the wearer and transcend time.
Ensuring the experience of opening a Larceny piece is just as special as the jewellery itself, each piece comes in beautiful and sustainable packaging.
“We’re all about simplicity – less is more, but our pieces are also different and fresh. I believe that the combination of our design principles and signature reverse set melee stones really sets Larceny apart from other brands in the NZ market.”
While moving from law to jewellery may seem like a drastic career change, for Law, his transition was a very natural one.
“It was difficult to think that I’d spent four and half years working toward a degree that I wasn’t going to pursue, so I decided I would give myself a few years to practice law and garner some experience, and I’m glad that I ended up doing that. But after about a year of practising, I left, and jewellery was the new path that I decided to take.”
Building a brand however, isn’t as easy of a task. Aside from a thorough and well thought out strategic business plan, Law says you need to have a strong desire to create and a vision in knowing what will appeal to your target market.
“Your product, design or service needs to be a breath of fresh air to what is currently on offer. You need to have a strong sense of how, what and where you envision your brand.
“And above all, you need to trust yourself in your vision. Nothing is more important than staying true to it.”
Currently, the brand is in its infancy. Law is getting a feel for his customer base, working on Larceny’s brand awareness, and is busy working on drafts for a second release to the ‘Kahn’ collection.
Available exclusively online via the Larceny website, the full range and more information can be viewed at larceny.co.nz