Meet Soulie Kaghazi | Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Soulie Kaghazi, of Studio Soul and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Soulie, is there something that you feel is most responsible for your success?
I would say it’s a combination of authenticity, connecting with my Studio Soul community, and play.

I believe that as the creator of my brand, I am my own ideal customer. I make product that I personally LOVE and would wear. My enthusiasm for these designs shines through and it becomes magnetic. If I’m excited about the work I produce, my Studio Soul community will be excited. So, I tend to design pieces that light me up. These pieces are authentic to me. On my social media and in my marketing, I share things, people, music, art, etc that inspires me and it’s a way for my clients to connect with my brand. They’re seeing me through what I love and my ideal clients tend to find inspiration in similar things.

I also love incorporating play into my work through events. Throwing events for my clients and really having the opportunity to bond with them through fun, social gatherings has been a huge part of my success. I have developed such beautiful relationships through Studio Soul and am beyond grateful for them.

I am most myself when I am creating and the designs flow out. I’m not afraid to test ideas and products out and have fun while designing. I think my community sees and feels the sense of flow and that I’m not so rigid in my work and they appreciate it. Life is supposed to be a good time, right?!

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.

I’ll start with just a quick tidbit about the materials I work with in case the readers are curious- I work in 14-24kt gold fill chain, charms and findings, and I use vermeil bezel set semi precious stones and faceted gemstone beads. I plan to release a luxury line in pure gold at some point (sooner rather than later) so stay tuned! I purchase ready made components and put them together in my own creative process.

I find gold to be powerful and regal. I feel so fierce and sexy when I adorn myself in gold jewels, which is why I choose to work primarily in gold. I have clients ask from time to time if I design in silver and the answer is no. I have a deep connection with gold. I’m half Iranian and grew up with my aunts, grandma, and family friends dripping in gold jewelry. I grew up with silk rugs in gaudy gold frames. Gilded gold furniture. There were hints of gold everywhere. It’s part of my culture and I love the richness of it. One thing my clients tell me all the time is what a goddess they feel like when they adorn themselves in Studio Soul and I feel a big part of that is because of the gold.

I’m a maximalist so I like layered, chunky looks. I would say the product I’m most excited about are my fringe earrings! I have an obsession with fringe and tassels and wanted to incorporate that into my work. I’m also obsessed with a statement earring. My fringies are my Studio Soul signature and my best sellers. It’s so fun to look back at old versions of these designs and see how they’ve evolved over the years. I remember being so proud of them when I first came up with the design and now, I look back and think OMG, they needed some major tweaking! It’s funny, I’m sure I’ll be doing that forever. As an artist, I aim to constantly evolve. To create new designs I’m passionate about or test out different offers and see what sticks. A majority of the time, if I’m excited about what I’m creating, my audience will be just as excited! Also, I specialize in custom work and LOVE the one on one time with my clients, designing pieces specially for them. I live for my custom orders!

Here’s a little (long) breakdown of my Studio Soul journey…

I learned to make jewelry when I was 19 years old. I was interning at this really cool boutique where I did window displays and learned how to refinish furniture AND learned some basic jewelry making skills. I took to jewelry immediately and the owner let me run with it and design a bunch of pieces to sell in the shop. I couldn’t stop! I immediately picked up my own set of tools and got my resale license and turned it into a business. My work then is worlds apart from what it is now, but I fell in love right away. I started off doing jewelry parties for my mom’s friends and co-workers and they were all so supportive.

I wanted to expand my skillset so I began taking metalsmithing classes at an art school in North Carolina. I quickly decided I didn’t like metalsmithing all that much and that I consider myself to be more of a designer than a bench jeweler. During my time in North Carolina, my work shifted into textiles and I began creating and selling scarves and handbags at the galleries I was working in. I took a mini break from jewelry as I was finding more success in selling my textiles than my jewelry over there.

When I moved back to LA, I paused any creating to get ‘a real job.’ I worked in real estate, doing marketing and events for a few years and sold some pieces on the side, but at this time, jewelry design was not my priority and to be honest, I was really having a hard time not making or designing. When things ended in real estate, I realized that I needed to jump back into my design work.

I started doing farmers markets, craft shows, and any pop ups I could get into. I was doing 2-5 shows a week, trying to gain some brand exposure. The markets served me really well at the time and I’ve met some of my very best clients doing farmers markets. I really loved getting to meet new people and setting up my booth so it was aesthetically pleasing to the crowd. After awhile, I grew out of markets and stuck to jewelry parties, pop ups at local boutiques, sold via IG stories, and worked with brand reps doing large trade shows and developed some wholesale accounts. I tried wholesale and realized that I can’t stand production work! I love creating new designs and most of my pieces are one-of-a-kind. Making the same thing over and over again is not what I wanted to spend my time doing. This was all really great experience!

At the beginning of 2020, I decided to try my hand out in wholesale again and started working with my brand reps. I had started to find some success in trade shows and wholesale accounts and then Covid hit. All of our upcoming shows were canceled, some of the boutiques we had accounts with were going out of business. It was time to pivot. It’s funny that I already knew I wasn’t crazy about production work and almost as soon as I jumped back into it, the universe guided me in a new direction. At this point I had only been selling here and there via IG stories and did not have a website. Honestly, I was terrified of selling online. I had no clue where to start, as my gifts lie in the connections I would make with people. How I make them feel and how they feel when they try on my pieces. I only had experience doing these things in person. I would come back from shows energetically charged up because I loved working with people and I was nervous that I wouldn’t feel the same excitement with online sales.

I ended up coming across a Facebook ad for an email marketing course and got a ping that I should look into this. I started out with the free webinar and then set up a call with Elena Saxton, the business coach who was teaching. We immediately hit it off and I signed up. It was Covid and I had no idea what I was going to do, so I figured I should begin learning how the heck to sell online. I ended up having a successful website launch and it got me excited for online sales. Fun fact, Elena is now one of my nearest and dearest friends and we’re going on over 3 years of friendship and amazing coaching. I would say the guidance of having a coach and being in a mastermind with inspiring creatives was a HUGE game changer. I was craving some structure and some action items and sometimes it’s all too much to figure out on your own. Signing up for this course up-leveled everything and I am a big advocate of educating yourself in your field so you feel confidant in what you do.

In March of 2021, I gave birth to my son, Hudson. I remember wanting to work right up until he was born, I even delivered a custom order the day before he was due! I wasn’t sure how much time I would be taking off postpartum so I figured that if I had the energy, I should keep making and I enjoyed it. The December before Hudson was born was my best holiday season, I felt proud of myself, going into motherhood, feeling successful in my work. Having a child has been the absolute greatest gift and also, the biggest lesson in slowing down and being easy on yourself. Motherhood is such a beautiful experience and also, I found myself feeling a bit like a fish out of water when it came to my work and personal life after Hudson was born. I kept creating and eventually found my groove again.

In September of 2021, I opened up my showroom and creative space in Redondo Beach. This was a big dream of mine and I was so happy to be doing what I loved. I was open by appointment and Hudson would come into work with me, until he got to be so active that he was wanting to run around, sticking beads in his mouth. That was not gonna fly! I hosted events and collaborated with other local artists, featuring their work. I held sound healing ceremonies and rented out the space for photoshoots. I designed a space that not only I loved, but my Studio Soul community loved. Throughout all of this, I had been going through a difficult separation and it was all quite draining. I felt some burnout creep up. I was a full time mama, a business owner, and was struggling in my personal life. This is where I really leaned into my friends, family, and creative community. Having a beautiful support system is EVERYTHING and I believe, it’s what helps you come out on the other side.

In June of 2022, I packed up my studio/showroom and Hudson and I moved into a new home, here in Redondo, where I work out of a home studio. We love it! In between being a mom, I find time to launch new collections, work on my social media, online sales and marketing, with the occasional show here and there. And as always, I’m focused on custom design work. I offer the option of private showings at home for my locals and I always enjoy the time to connect in person. I find that I don’t have the same amount of energy I did, pre-baby for all of the events and am enjoying using my creativity in marketing and working one on one with clients. I do love the idea of opening up another showroom when the time is right. I love retail and merchandising and having a creative space for my community to come and enjoy. This is on the horizon, so keep an eye out!

I don’t market this heavily, but I also do event styling and rentals and on the side. I specialize in intimate events, such as baby showers, dinner parties, holiday parties, etc. I love having my hand in multiple projects to keep the creativity flowing and to stay inspired. Styling events and spaces is something I’m really passionate about and I love to bring a little something special to any occasion. I style lounges, tablescapses, etc. I offer a few different packages and customize on a case by case basis. At this time, most of my clients are friends or word of mouth.

It’s been a wild ride and I’ve dabbled in a lot of different projects along the way. I believe the quickest way to figure out what you want is through knowing what you don’t want, which is why I’m all about trial and error and testing ideas out. The experience will always leave you as a better version of yourself with more knowledge than you had before. And although having concrete action steps and a plan is super helpful, I believe that listening to your intuition and following what lights you up is what brings the greatest success. And lastly, finding play in your work is so important, you’ve gotta have fun!

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
Since I live in the Riviera, this is where I spend most of my time. So, naturally, we’d hang out in Redondo and cruise the Riviera Village quite a bit. Our Redondo time would look like- Smoothies at the Punch Bowl (OMG the Rita Hayworth smoothie is divine). Hi-Fi Espresso for some pick-me-ups. Breakfast burritos from Phanny’s + beach walks. Grab tacos from Tigres Fuego (fish tacos and sweet potato mushroom tacos for the win) and do a beach picnic. Hit Hook and Plow for clam chowder. Bettolino Kitchen for a trip to their photo booth and some amazing Italian food. I love their Lobster Bucantini and a signature soda, which is basically a mocktail. And we’d have to wrap up our meal with the cannoli cheesecake. A private pilates class at Beach lIfe Fitness Boutique (ask for Allison), followed by a vegan dinner at Pura Vita, right next door. The Carbonara at Pura Vita is out of this world! Grab Racer Tea in the Riviera Village on our way to a morning walk (order The Rasta- it’s vacation in a cup). Swanky dinner and tasty cocktails at Gabi James. My go-to is A Good Melon cocktail with a shot of Mezcal. Tony’s on the Pier for sunset drinks (you have to visit Tony’s when visiting Redondo). And we would of course, have to make an appearance at the Bull Pen for drinks, live music, and people watching!

Breakfast at Gum Tree in Hermosa. The cafe is so sweet and quaint and of course, they have their shop connected. Delicious food and shopping?! Don’t threaten me with a good time! We could spend all morning/afternoon cruising downtown Hermosa Beach. We’d hit Beach and Beverly for some new threads and visit Practical Magic for tarot readings and tinctures. I can’t visit downtown HB without stopping into Sol Baby to pickup a band tee for my little rascal. A nice long walk on the strand and then head over to Palmilla for some thirst quenching margs! I alternate between three margaritas there- the fresh spicy mango, pineapple serrano cilantro, and the watermelon cilantro. You can’t go wrong with any of them!

Shopping in Downton Manhattan Beach, we’d have to make a stop at Right Tribe for some crystals and funky finds. I could spend all day in there. Dinner and drinks at Esperanza in Manhattan. This restaurant is stunning and the cocktails are a treat! I get the crab enchiladas and they do not disappoint.

Hopefully, Valmonte Farm and Garden would be open for their monthly farmers market. This is my happy place and such a hidden gem here in Palos Verdes. Fun for kiddos and super grounding for adults. We’d pick some seasonal veggies and visit the chickens.

I would absolutely have us get out of the Southbay bubble for a day and hit Topanga Canyon, my FAVE!! First, we start at Cafe on 27 in Topanga for a long brunch. That restaurant is beyond dreamy. You’re basically eating in a canopy of trees and the restaurant overlooks the canyon. The food is so fresh and delicious. Tip- make a reservation, they blew up on social media and are always slammed now! Then, we’d hit my favorite shop, Moonastar Collective. If we’re lucky, Moonastar would be doing a creative workshop (like bundle dying with plants) and we could partake. This store is so beautifully curated, I can’t help but leave fully inspired! We’d visit the Treasure Chest for some funky vintage try-ons. On our way back down the hill, we would stop at Oasis Imports to window shop some cool interior and exterior furniture and accessories. I always feel like this store is so unexpected in this location and I love it! Drive back through Malibu and make a stop to get our toes in the sand.

Saturday morning, we visit the Playa Vista Farmers Market to pickup some local honey and bee pollen from LSG Honey (the best). Spend Saturday afternoon at the Mosaic Tile House in Venice (this place is so cool!) and head to Felix on Abbott Kinney for dinner. This restaurant is so beautifully designed and the menu is to die for. The squash blossoms are a must! We may need to make a trip back to Venice for dinner at C&O Trattoria so we can sing ‘That’s Amore’ and overload on garlic knots.

If time allows, I would have us make a trip just outside of LA for a day and visit the Santa Ynez Valley. It’s only a 2-2.5 hour drive from Redondo and it feels so great to leave the city for a bit! Our itinerary would look a bit like- olive oil tasting at Global Gardens and then picnic at Clairmont Lavender Farm, lunch in Los Olivos, head to Eldeflat and Bodega for shopping in Los Alamos, and stay at the Landsby in downtown Solvang. Breakfast at the Landsby hotel restaurant and aura readings at the Mystic Merchant.

Ok, I may have gotten excited and planned a little more than a week’s worth of fun, but there’s lots to do around here!

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
Oh man, it takes a village and having a tight support system is key when it comes to success. There are so many people in my community that have impacted me and shown Studio Soul so much love, but I’ll just share a few…

I’ll start with saying that I am so grateful for my business coach and dear friend, Elena Saxton, who I’ve spent many LONG calls with, discussing my brand, marketing, energetics of business, personal growth, etc. Working with Elena has been a serious game changer and opened my eyes in so many ways.

My incredibly supportive clientele who are walking billboards for my designs and who share my work with others and continue to come back for more. I genuinely love my clients, they make it all worthwhile.

Big shoutout to my mom, Katherine, who has helped nurture my creativity from a young age and encouraged me to follow through on my creative endeavors. She used to help me set up for Farmers Markets and pop ups when I was first getting started with Studio Soul. I still laugh when I think about how much we struggled with the darn pop up tent! She still helps me set up for events and she’s been a part of everything since the beginning. She even hangs out with my son at shows and provides a second pair of hands so I can play mama bear and still have the opportunity to engage with clients. To have parents that fully believe in you and support what you do is HUGE and I don’t take it for granted.

My community of makers and entrepreneurs!!! You need to have group of people you can bounce ideas off of and who understand your line of work. You’ve gotta have the people in your life who’ve been through it all too and they GET IT. And the people who expand you to step into a higher version of your business. I love to see what my creative community is doing and I feel so lucky to have this support system.

And lastly, my sweet son, Hudson. Becoming a mother has ‘upped my game’ in every way possible. When I became a mother, I stepped into a fierceness I didn’t know existed. I am more intentional with how I live my life, as I want to lead by example. Raising a child inspires me to be successful in doing what I love and seeing the creativity already pour out of my little rascal, makes me one proud mama.

Website: https://shopstudiosoul.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_studiosoul_/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/shopstudiosoul

Image Credits
Elena Saxton, Kira Alger, Jessica Wood, Lila Seeley