NANTA TANGUDTAISAK, ANYALLERIE
Anyallerie is a custom-made, fine jewelry brand created by designer Nanta Tangudtaisak and housed in Bangkok at the exclusive Central Embassy luxury mall. Inspired by nature, her unique designs combine precious gemstones with intricate craftsmanship to form beautiful, one-of-a-kind creations. Operating out of Bangkok, she has an established presence in Hong Kong’s fine jewelry market and is now set on expanding to the US and Middle East.
What motivated you to start Anyallerie?
I was studying real estate development in New York with the idea that one day I would come back to work on my family’s real estate projects. While I was there I saw a lot of designer jewelry and that really captivated me. My family has been manufacturing jewelry for three generations and I have always been exposed to it but what I saw in New York was unique, very fashionable jewelry, which used high quality stones to create pieces of art. I had never seen it in Asia so I thought I could make something new here and that sparked my idea to create Anyallerie. I designed my first collection in 2009 and I launched the brand in 2010, when I came back to Thailand.
“I love the idea of carrying on the family heritage and I leverage their in-house expertise to produce my pieces. But having my own business gives me my own identity and freedom to choose the style I want. I created my separate line, built my own distribution channels, and found my own clients. It’s more challenging but also more rewarding.”
What pushed you to take the plunge?
I designed my first collection when I was still working in the US. I had showed it to Lane Crawford, a high-end specialty store in Hong Kong and they really liked it and decided to stock it, but it was still a sort of side project for me. Then I heard through some friends that there was plan to open a luxury-focused mall in Bangkok (Central Embassy). I managed to talk to the team and was offered a space on the ground floor next to established luxury jewelry and fashion brands. My first reaction was to decline because I didn’t feel ready but then it hit me that if I really wanted to see Anyallerie grow, I would have to do it full-time. I talked to my family and they were very supportive. They told me that if I thought I could do it, then I should do it. But they also told me to first run the numbers.
What has been the most memorable experience so far?
When we got selected to showcase at Harrods in London. It was an initiative of the Department of International Trade and Promotion and the Thai Embassy in the United Kingdom to promote Thai brands abroad. Harrods had the final say in approving which brands to showcase so it felt like a big validation for Anyallerie.
What has been the steepest learning curve for you?
The steepest learning curve for me has been managing the stock because inventory for a jewelry business is very expensive. Setting up the business wasn’t that hard because I was lucky to be able to tap into my family’s in-house expertise. The toughest thing is to sustain growth the business and keep the business going.
What is the best piece of advice you have ever received?
‘Make sure you surround yourself with a great team’. It was from my former boss at Morningstar. Many of us believe that we can do everything ourselves but as the business grows you realize how important it is to have a really good team that you can trust and count on.
What would be your advice to young budding entrepreneurs?
‘Think big but start small’. Test your products with clients to see if there is demand, how many units you can sell, and what margins you can charge. And when you run the numbers, make sure you run for the worst case scenario and build in enough cushion for the rainy days.
Company: Anyallerie
Location: Bangkok
Founded: 2010
No of Employees: 5
Women-owned & led
Anyallerie is a custom-made, fine jewelry brand created by Bangkok designer Nanta Tangudtaisak
