Episode Details

JCK editor-in-chief Victoria Gomelsky and news director Rob Bates talk with Malyia McNaughton, founder of Made by Malyia. The self-taught jewelry designer and Black in Jewelry Coalition board member is proof that trusting your gut can be the key to creative success. When Malyia couldn’t find the jewelry she wanted, she designed her own—and wore it. Demand for her designs inspired her to launch her brand and has made her a rising star whose looks have been worn by Lizzo and other celebrities.

Sponsored by De Beers: diamondeducation.debeers.com

Show Notes

1:53 From body chain to brand launch

5:09 Expanding organically

8:04 Turning obstacles into opportunities

10:53 Finding creative inspiration

13:57 High-profile partnerships

17:58 In the spotlight on SNL

20:51 The Black in Jewelry Coalition: making a difference

23:52 Tips for aspiring designers

Episode Credits

Hosts: Rob Bates and Victoria Gomelsky

Producer and engineer: Natalie Chomet

Plugs: jckonline.com; @jckmagazine; madebymalyia.com; diamondeducation.debeers.com [Use promo code JCKPRO_15 at checkout for 15% off workshops.]

Show Recap

From body chain to brand launch

Victoria introduces Brooklyn-based designer Malyia McNaughton, founder of Made by Malyia, and asks how she started creating jewelry. The daughter of Jamaican immigrants was born in the Bronx, raised in Florida, and attended Florida State University, where she studied fashion merchandising and product development. After graduating, she moved back to New York to pursue a career in fashion, starting in sales and product development for Nicole Miller and eventually designing for another fashion brand.

In 2014, Malyia had tickets to a music festival in Philadelphia. She wanted to make a statement by wearing a body chain but couldn’t find the right piece. Undeterred, she sourced materials and designed her own. Little did she dream she was making her first item of jewelry. “I got stopped by so many people asking me where I’d gotten it,” Malyia recalls. “After the fifth or sixth person, my friends said, ‘You might be onto something.’ We went to lunch, and they helped me come up with the name Made by Malyia.’ It was one of those Oprah aha moments.”

Expanding organically

After months of trial and error, Malyia developed a body chain she felt was ready to put on Etsy. To her delight, orders poured in. Still, she viewed Made by Malyia as a creative outlet, not a business. Gradually she added products based on buyers’ feedback. When a client asked if she could make a temporary nose ring, Malyia branched into nonpermanent nose and body jewelry. Next someone asked for a ring. “It started to expand very organically,” she says. Eventually, growing demand persuaded her to build a collection and a website.

“Etsy was a great launching pad,” she says. “I credit my customers [there] for amplifying my voice and bringing me to market.” Though she has moved away from the platform, she hopes to do another Etsy-specific collection.

Turning obstacles into opportunities

Rob asks what challenges Malyia faced as a newcomer to the industry. She points out that the jewelry business is famously generational. While those family bonds are admirable and she hopes to build her own legacy, they have a downside: They cre