Spokane-based jewelry company MILLIANNA LLC., may be small now, but its owners say they have plans to grow the company into an internationally recognized accessory brand. 

 Already recognized for its handmade necklaces, earrings, cuff bracelets, and specialty jewelry pieces, the jewelry maker will participate in New York’s prestigious Grand Central Holiday Fair later this month.

MILLIANNA combines both the creative talents and portions of the first names of its founders, Sharmilla Persaud and Arianna Brooke.

“So far this year, we’ve sold 8,000 pieces, and we expect to sell at least 3,000 more,” says Brooke.

 While she describes the jewelry industry as tough and says gaining recognition has taken a while, she says the business has grown steadily each year since the two founded it in 2010. 

“Our revenues have grown by 20 to 25 percent each year,” she says. “We expect that to be 50 percent this year, and are already planning to ramp up production.” 

MILLIANNA occupies a 900-square-foot space on the sixth floor of Spokane’s Empire State Building, at 905 W. Riverside downtown. Some of the jewelry is produced at the company’s downtown location, but workers are also able to create pieces at home. 

Brooke says the company has one full time employee, and 20 contract employees who work to create the pieces. Many of these workers are immigrant women who arrived in Spokane through the World Relief Organization. 

MILLIANNA’s jewelry products are available online, through department stores such as Nordstrom, and Garnet Hill, as well as multiple boutiques across the country.

The company’s jewelry can be found here in Spokane at Cues boutique, in Seattle boutiques such as Butch Bloom and Alice, and Silverado in Portland. 

Brooke says the company’s jewelry also has been worn on the red carpet by celebrities, featured in popular U.S. magazines and television shows. Pieces range in price from $50 to $750 dollars. 

Originally from Spokane, Brooke met Persaud in 1995 while the two were working for BCBG Max Azria, a contemporary women’s clothing brand headquartered in Vernon, Calif.

Persaud is a New York City native, having earned a degree in design from the Fashion Institute of Technology. Brooke has a bachelor’s degree in French and international business from Loyola Marymount University, in Los Angeles.  

While Brooke now lives here in Spokane, Persaud lives in Greenwich Conn., and visiting the Spokane office two or three times each year. 

While both maintain a passion for fashion trends, in their current business, Persaud focuses on design, while Brooke oversees the company’s marketing and production here in Spokane. 

Both are involved in the sales aspects of the business, and Brooke also participates in the design process occasionally.

“Our goal is to be a nationally recognized brand, so that when you hear MILLIANNA, you know exactly what it is we do,” says Brooke. 

Of its hiring of immigrant women through the World Relief Organization, she says, “We started a training program with the WRO, working to teach these skills, and five years later, we have an amazing workforce. Several of our employees who started out as beaders (making beaded jewelry) now work in other positions in our main office.”

Once a piece is designed, the materials are given to employees in a packet, and each can choose where and for how long they’re able to work to complete it. Employees can choose whether to assemble pieces remotely, such as at their homes, or they can do so at the company’s downtown location. 

“Workers are compensated based by pieces completed, rather than hourly,” Brooke says. “That gives them a flexible work schedule, which is really great for moms particularly.” 

Brooke and Persaud say they’re proud both their company and the products it makes play a part in empowering women. 

 “Many of the women we hire come from a culture where they’re not used to being independent and earning their own money, so it’s incredible to see them gaining confidence and taking pride in their work,” Brooke says.

As for some of her responsibilities, Persaud says that being a female designer lends itself to creating products that will appeal to women. 

“Designers often end up creating things they like personally,” she says. “So we already have a sense of the aesthetic, style, or feel women are looking for in a piece.”

The MILLIANNA collection started with the design of 60 pieces and has grown to include more than 200 today. 

Brooke says the process of design might take two months of reviewing ideas and gaining inspiration. Once a design is decided on, additional hours are spent choosing materials and experimenting with production.  

“We spend time adjusting to make sure the materials flow with our vision of how the piece should look when worn,” she says. 

Although the vast majority of the collection is produced here in Spokane, some is created at Persaud’s home office in Connecticut. 

Throughout the year, Brooke and Persaud participate in multiple trade shows in New York City, which is where the majority of boutique orders are placed.  

Both boutique and department store buyers come to these shows, view the collection, and decide what they want to purchase for the upcoming season. Throughout the year, those buyers will then place reorders over the phone or via email until the next trade show occurs.

Brooke says the company comes out with a new collection three times each year, with spring, summer/fall, and holiday offerings. 

“Some of our pieces go through several evolutions, tweaking it into something new for each collection,” she says. “We basically reinvent ourselves three times a year, produce the pieces, and hope people buy them. It’s a tough business model,” she says. 

While designs are inspired both by historical eras and art movements like Art Deco, they also seek to blend form with function. 

“It’s not just about being fashionable,” says Persaud. “It’s about creating a quality product that is comfortable to wear, but also timeless.” 

She says the company uses only quality materials to create pieces, and each is carefully inspected during the production process. 

“We look at things like uniform crystal size, colors that complement each other—all these little details that are so important to creating a quality piece,” she says. 

Persaud says the company also offers to repair or replace pieces from the collection that are damaged or worn down. 

“We’ve gotten pieces back over the years that have clearly been well worn,” she says. “It’s a great feeling to know the customer loved our product that much.” 

Two of MILLIANNA’s more popular products are its micro cuff bracelet, and a necklace made up of 5,000 hand-beaded crystals, known as the Francesca. 

Priced at $750, the Francesca is the company’s top-selling product, making up 15 percent of its sales last year.

Brooke says both pieces use the company’s patented magnetic closure, a feature which is incorporated into about 80 percent of its products. 

“There is nothing else in the jewelry market quite like it,” Brooke asserts. “No one needs just another necklace. It has to be unique.” 

While the magnetic closure began as another way to make piece comfortable and easy to wear, she says it quickly made each piece into a conversation starter among customers. 

The pair just recently finalized their patent on the magnetic closure design, having worked with Spokane law firm Randall Danskin PS to secure it. 

“We like working with other local companies for our business needs,” says Brooke. “We just completed a website design through Zipline Interactive, and Lawton Printing is working to help us create branded packaging like cards for our earrings.”

She says the company also is working with Pixie Mood, a small business located in Toronto, Canada, to design a vegan-friendly bag, made out of a non-animal leather alternative.

This spring the company also hopes to create a scarf collection to go with its jewelry products. 

Looking ahead, the pair says their focus will be on creating multiple new product lines and selling both nationally and internationally. 

“I think we have a strong collection and an identifiable look,” Persaud says. “That’s what makes us capable of growth, and enables us to compete with those larger companies.”

Brooke agrees, saying “We’re really proud of all we’ve accomplished so far, and excited to continue building this company.”

Persaud says the Grand Central Holiday Fair, is a great opportunity for the company to continue gaining recognition. 

“This show gives us both great exposure and the opportunity to work hands on with our end customer,” she says. “I personally love being able to sell the product, watching people’s faces light up with happiness. It’s a really great feeling.”

Each year, 40 vendors are chosen to present their products at the fair, which takes place Nov. 14 through Dec. 24 in Grand Central Station’s Vanderbilt Hall space.