The Jewelry Brand That Sold Out Before They Even Launched

Coqui is making the beaded and shell jewelry everyone wants to wear How many times have you daydreamed about starting your own fashion or accessories line? We know it's crossed our minds in more than a few idle moments, but it takes a certain level of tenacity and follow-through to actually make it happen For best friends Cristina Mantilla and Duda Teixeira, the recipe was a serious love of jewelry, a dedication to upcycled materials, and a trip to Costa Rica to start their line of shell and beaded jewelry, Coqui.

"We've always had our own ideas, and we always made our own things when we couldn't find what we were looking for," explains Mantilla, calling from the designers' native Miami "We would always [say], 'OK, cool, we're doing this production company, but in the future we'll retire and we'll start our jewelry line." Almost immediately friends and strangers wanted to purchase their jewelry With craft and shell jewelry still covering the ears and necks of many fashion influencers, the designers strove to find a balance between the current trends and their love for Scandinavian minimalism. Source