By 2008, and with only a small workshop attached to her house as a base, Monica had recruited Gaby, her sister, as COO, remortgaged the home she shared with her husband and then infant daughter, and launched Monica Vinader Ltd as a full-fledged business. The recession might have been in full swing, but Monica’s now-cult Fiji bracelets sold out the very same year nonetheless.
Cut to 2014, and sales shot through the roof when none other than Kate Middleton attended a gala wearing a Dolce & Gabbana gown paired with Monica Vinader diamond earrings, plus a matching necklace. Clearly a fan, the duchess later stepped out again while on tour in Canada, wearing a pair of the now iconic Siren Wire Earrings.
Naturally, the Kate effect kicked in. A-listers from Gwyneth Paltrow and Olivia Palermo to Emma Watson, Kate Winslet and more soon followed suit, turning Monica’s Fiji Friendship Bracelets (now celebrating their 10th birthday), stackable Siren Rings, Signature Bangles and Riva diamond rings into cult pieces. The brand—once a mere kitchen table–based side hustle—managed to score revenue of a whopping £25 million by 2016.