Arthur & Livingston: Island-Inspired Jewellery

If you’ve read InStyle, Glamour, Redbook or Lucky magazines, you may have seen a necklace or pair of earrings from the brand Arthur & Livingston. But did you know the brand has a Barbadian connection?

If you’re in Barbados and you’ve been to Lanterns Mall recently you may have seen the kiosk. If you didn’t stop to chat with owner Nicole Smith, you may not know the brand’s story.

Maybe this is your first time hearing about Arthur & Livingston. No worries. I’ve got all the details you need to know.

Nicole was not born in Barbados but both her parents are Barbadian. A&L was launched in 2013 while she was working in fashion PR in New York. A&L is named after Nicole’s Barbadian grandfathers.

Arthur & Livingston was born out of a need

Nicole started the business when she couldn’t find the types of jewellery she really wanted in the Big Apple.

“Although I was exposed to soooo many accessories, none of them ever felt like me.  There was something missing in the marketplace in terms of fun, bold, colourful, island-style accessories. I was a Bajan-American living in the city and wanted accessories that were a reflection of those two worlds,” Nicole says.

Nicole didn’t wait for someone to create such a brand. She decided that she would create a jewellery collection that was inspired by the culture and colours of the Caribbean but that still felt fresh and contemporary for her city lifestyle.

You probably can’t tell but Nicole has no formal training in jewellery-making.

“Luckily for me, I live in the age of YouTube and was able to teach myself the basics. For the harder techniques, I did take a couple workshops in Brooklyn, but that’s about it!”

Nicole is not an earrings girl so in the beginning, Arthur & Livingston was all about necklaces. Customers were asking for earrings though and now Nicole offers a wider range of accessories including earrings, rings, bracelets and anklets.

Whether you like your pieces dainty or bold, Arthur & Livingston caters to you. You will notice that most of the pieces include gemstones.

Gemstones and more gemstones

“Since the collection is island-inspired, I do my very best to just use all-natural semi-precious gemstones. I attend quite a few gem and mineral shows across the US which is where I curate most of my stones, but I also love to pick up unique pieces during my regular travels around the globe.,” Nicole says.

She is working to build her local customer base.

“The brand was launched in the US so I have an amazing fan/customer base overseas. When I relocated to Barbados in 2017, the reception of the brand here has been awesome as well! There is still plenty of growth opportunities for the brand locally and abroad, but I’m taking it one day at time,” Nicole says.

To date, she says her biggest achievement was the time A&L got featured on a national TV segment.

“Three glorious minutes all dedicated to my brand. It was such a gratifying and rewarding experience.”

Nicole is a big fan of jewellery designer Kendra Scott who went on develop a wide range of accessories. She also wants to use jewellery as a platform to expand into other areas like home décor and handbags.

In the meantime, you can get her vibrant designs at the kiosk at Lanterns Mall if you’re in Barbados or at  www.arthurandlivingston.com where international shipping is available.