Marcia Maizel-Clarke has come a long way since hawking jewelry at flea markets.
While a distribution deal with Macy’s 25 years ago was crucial to the success of Dogeared Inc., her jewelry and accessories line, the entrepreneur has since turned her Culver City label into a company with annual sales of $25 million. Maizel-Clarke’s firm also opened its first brick-and-mortar shop in Santa Monica last month.
The chief executive said what started as a hobby while working full time in the fashion industry has evolved into a successful business that’s reached the next stage of growth.
“We’ve been in wholesale for so long,” Maizel-Clarke said of the new store. “We’re in other people’s houses, but this is our house so we’re excited.”
While major jewelers such as Tiffany & Co. and Signet Jewelers, parent company of Jared and Zales, have reported drops in sales, Dogeared enjoyed more than 20 percent year-over-year revenue growth since 2014 thanks to its affordability and focus on being an easy gift item.
The company is known for its simple, single-strand necklaces in sterling silver or gold that often feature a small charm or jewel accompanied by a short message. For example, a recently launched necklace called “Tutto Bene … All Is Good!” features a small Italian horn with a note saying it should be worn as a reminder to live with confidence and gusto.
After launching Dogeared in 1991, Maizel-Clarke started selling her jewelry at the Rose Bowl flea market in Pasadena. At the time, she had more than 10 years’ experience in fashion working as a buyer for the now-defunct Bullocks department store chain. Later, after being laid off by retailer Esprit, she decided to take a chance at turning her hobby into a business.
Maizel-Clarke approached a friend who worked as a buyer at Macy’s with a selection of fabric choker necklaces with charms.
“We had no name,” she said. “We had no pricing – no anything. She started laughing and said, ‘I’m going to buy it for 10 stores.’ And that was our first big order.”
Charmed life
The company has since grown to 110 employees with sales hitting more than $25 million last year. It is carried in more than 2,000 specialty and department stores, including Nordstrom and Bloomingdale’s, across 32 countries. The company has been certified as a B corporation by the nonprofit B Lab since 2011, pledging to meet high standards of social and environmental performance. Its materials are sourced in the United States and made at its headquarters in Culver City.
Dogeared offers a range of products including necklaces, earrings, rings, and tote bags. Prices range from $26 for a Make-a-Wish silk necklace to as much as $132 for a gold-dipped cross necklace.
The company has until now kept a low profile, focusing on cultivating its retail distribution. Ashley Walkley, its director of brand and strategic initiatives, said the business has been strategic about its partnerships but still pivots when needed.
“We diversify the business in a way that makes sense with the brand,” Walkley said. “We can be present at a yoga studio, a high-end fashion boutique, but also at the W Hotel. Not many brands can cross that many market segments.”
Nikki Baird, managing partner at Miami’s Retail Systems Research, said even though Dogeared has great messaging wrapped around a creative founder, the company will need to do more to stand out as a larger brand, particularly because its pieces are simple in style.
“She needs a brand story that people want to tell and share and be a part of,” Baird said. “Consumers who might love the brand will never know anything about the why part of what she does – a part that is increasingly important to millennials.”
The opening of its 1,200-square-foot shop off Main Street last month is a step in that direction, said Maizel-Clarke, noting it lets Dogeared connect with consumers in a different way.
“Everyone talks about omnichannel,” she said. “It’s such a buzzword right now, but I think it’s about finding ways to connect with your customer. So for us, having a flagship store made sense. It’s a playground.”
