Entrepreneur, Arielle Zella took the meaning of play and turned it into a beautifully sculpted jewelry brand called LÚDERE. Despite her journey to metals being non-linear, Zella’s background cosmically led her to this industry.
With a bachelor’s in fine art and dance, she became a choreographer before pursuing a master’s in graphic design and then became a UI/UX designer in the tech industry. Despite using the art form Zella was trained in and working on personal art projects, like many others, she reassessed her happiness amid the pandemic and where her creative buckets were left empty.
It was when Zella quit her tech job and dove into art projects full-time that she discovered the creation of jewelry and the way it intertwined with her pre-existing skills and experiences.
“I learned that the physical tactile and building of jewelry could be mixed with digital design and was like ‘oh, this is a really good fit for me,” she said. “I learned everything I could about the industry and eventually launched my brand.”
LÚDERE officially launched as an online store in April 2023. A few months following the year anniversary, they opened their showroom on Tennyson St.
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Though primarily a one-woman show, Zella has a team of people who produce the jewelry. “I built the website, I do the branding and marketing, the design and administrative stuff. I realized I could either spend the next 30 years becoming an expert or hire experts and focus on what I do best,” Zella stated.
The brand’s mission is to inspire individuals to “live life as play.”
“I think about how we are when we’re playing. We naturally have an openness and a feeling that whatever happens, it’ll be okay,” Zella said. She notes that as a society we live our lives waiting for the right moment to be happy and in doing so, we lose sight of the joy, value and simple pleasures of life as it happens for us.
“In my teens and 20s, I lived my life with a ton of anxiety and stress,” she said. “I constantly felt like I wasn’t doing or achieving enough and that I wasn’t enough.”
In her thirties, Zella realized that it’s impossible to fail because you can only learn. To her, to be “playful” is to find joy in all parts of your journey as it unfolds and not just celebrate at the finish line. LÚDERE is a reminder and embodiment of that.
“I wanted to give someone something bigger than myself and that gave them a confidence boost,” Zella added.
The Creative Process
Reminiscent of sculptural work, Zella notes that most of her inspiration comes from her background in welding and ceramics.
“I just think the same shapes have followed me throughout life,” Zella said. “Even when I was younger and doing ceramic work I had this circle and square motif that was part of my work then and has been a recurring theme throughout my work.”
The process of taking a theme and seeing how far she can push a concept to create a cohesive collection is one of the things Zella enjoys about her work — like how a cube can go from an earring to a necklace and then to a ring.
In addition to creating original pieces, LÚDERE does custom designs that allow Zella to take a client’s vision and occasion, and design something special.
Zella also draws inspiration from gem shows, where she sees a gemstone and envisions the perfect piece to match it.
Sustainability
When talking about sustainability, jewelry isn’t often thought of despite it being a contributing factor.
Similarly to textiles, the lifecycle of a piece matters–otherwise the item is thrown away and forgotten about. Investing in quality materials made to last and easy to recycle is a way to be more environmentally conscious and to ensure that your jewelry will last for decades.
These are factors Zella considered when choosing materials for LÚDERE.
“I knew I wanted something with intrinsic value which meant fine metals. I also knew I wanted to work with gold, one of the more sustainable metals,” she said. Customs, for instance, are made sustainable by taking an heirloom and melting it down to repurpose it.
Due to their valuing accessibility, LÚDERE has two lines: Demi-fine line and fine jewelry.
“I’m creating pieces meant to last a while,” the jewelry designer said. “I don’t want something that will end up in a closet or junk pile somewhere. I believe it [jewelry] should be collected and cherished for generations.”
The Future of Play With LÚDERE
Zella hopes to expand to a brick-and-mortar store in Denver and broaden wholesale for stores nationwide.
If you’d like to meet Zella and shop for organically shaped and eye-catching LÚDERE pieces, visit them at the Cherry Creek holiday market from November 18 – December 24. Or make an appointment at the LÚDERE showroom.
“We don’t stop playing because we grow old, we grow old because we stop playing.” – George Bernard Shaw.
Photo courtesy of LÚDERE