My favorite game as a kid was organizing catwalks in the hallway, using my cousins as models, lace curtains, and dry flowers as couture gowns.

 

I remember the excitement of coming up with different dresses with the same piece of fabric used over and over again. In my eyes, my creations were beautiful! Actual photos of the events from 1995 say otherwise . . . ☺

 

I always loved showcasing my personality and my moods through my outfits. We can say it is a form of communication for me, almost part of my body language.

 

My style has evolved with me over the years. I went through different “fashion phases”, but it got more opulent and vibrant as I got more confident and comfortable with myself and my body.

 

Last year, during a difficult moment, I felt the need to start creating with my own hands, again, like when I was kid.

 

While taking a hot shower, the idea popped up in my brain and everything started making sense again. My jewels are inspired by moments of my life, my childhood memories and things I loved while growing up.

 

The whole creation process makes me feel connected with who I am, and reminds me where I come from.

I like to think about the Nennè consumers as: unapologetic, happy people that love playing around with their style, and, who can most definitely rock colorful dresses. 

They wear Nennè Bling to add a fun touch that'll take their looks and outfits to the next groovy level. Like a cherry on the cake.

My Sorbetto necklace is by far the piece I’m most proud of. It’s inspired by Napoli, my city, and the Mediterranean Sea.

 

The fun and warm colors, the juicy hand-made lemon charms and the picturesque look are my homage to the city and to my family, who still live there.

 

Every time I get a Sorbetto necklace’s order, I get very emotional. I love thinking about my clients wearing a piece of Napoli, and a piece of me, in their lives.

So . . . I had this idea about making ‘70s inspired earrings, while looking at some old photos of my mum and my aunt. 

While playing around with colors, I matched a bright orange with a vibrant apple green. I loved this color combo so much that I decided to make a pair of earrings out of it. 

That’s how the Papaia came up. It’s now one of my best sellers. Totally unexpected. I guess people love the vivacious colors and the positive energy they spread.

I wasn’t afraid of anything until I pressed the “go live” button on Etsy. I thought:

“What if no one will like them?”

“How pathetic would it be if I don’t get any orders?” “Maybe people will hate it . . ."

Putting your work out there is always frightening, it exposes you somehow and makes you feel more vulnerable than ever.

Luckily, I have some amazing friends that supported me from the get-go, and their encouragement boosted my confidence and fired my motivation so much. They give me the energy to keep going.

 

I wish I could answer this one differently. LOL! I haven't found a balance yet.

 

In full transparency, I really underestimated the amount of work a small handmade jewelry business would mean. There are so many tasks I completely ignored, like inventory keeping for example. I run out of materials so often without even realizing.

 

Then I get a new order, and I realize I don’t have “thank you” cards any more or asymmetric pearls. Also, the amount of time I spend at the post office is I-N-S-A-N-E!

 

Although I’m still finding my way to a smooth workflow, I’m kind of enjoying this crazy ride, I’m learning so much and the joy of reading feedback or seeing photos of customers wearing my creations is incomparable.

There will be NEVER be a perfect time to start!

You just need to find the nerve to do it at some point.

You can figure stuff out along the way. You will grow alongside your business and, eventually, it will be like a puzzle -- everything will slowly fall into place.

 . . . to more fun and colorful creations! ☺  

My mission is to create jewels that bring you joy, and I won’t stop until extreme joy is spread in the universe. 

Ciaooo!