Designer Cindy Kaiser says Santa Barbara proves to be perfect for LaKaiser Jewelry
Cindy Kaiser, owner of LaKaiser Jewelry, said she knew the charming city of Santa Barbara would be ideal for her business.
LaKaiser Jewelry will host the grand opening of its new location Thursday at 1101 State St.
The Santa Barbara store’s grand opening is set for 5:30-8 p.m.
“My fiancé and I spent a lot of time in Santa Barbara during and before our daughter was born,” said Cindy Kaiser, founder, designer, and owner of LaKaiser Jewelry.
“From then on, I knew right then that the charming town of Santa Barbara could be the perfect location for our first retail store!” Ms. Kaiser told the News-Press. “La Kaiser is simple and elegant in essence, and I felt that the laid back little town of Santa Barbara would complement my design aesthetic.
Ms. Kaiser said Thursday’s grand opening will partly be a charity event, with half the proceeds going to My Trees Trust.
“But it is also going to be our opening bash!” she said. “We will be serving hors d’oeuvres and wine all night long, and we have just launched a new birthstone and charm collection that we are so excited about. You will be able to create your own customized birthstone charm pendants in store as well as get sparked (the ever-popular infinity bracelets that we all love!)
“Our entire collection will be on display along with a couple special One Of A Kind pieces,” Ms. Kaiser said. “The director of the My Trees Trust will be giving a presentation during the event too, so we are all looking forward to that!”
The News-Press asked Ms. Kaiser about the birth of LaKaiser Jewelry.
“I originally studied Jewelry Design & Metal smithing at the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa before I went on to dabble in the fashion industry in LA. After my brief stint in the fashion industry, I knew I wanted to get back into jewelry design, and I apprenticed for a year with an amazing jeweler in downtown Los Angeles.
“I then started La Kaiser as a hobby back in 2012,” Ms. La Kaiser said. “It took several years of grueling hard work doing trade shows and small little makers markets before the brand started to grow steadily.
“Finally in 2016, La Kaiser took off with a boom and I couldn’t have been more thrilled!” she said. “My dreams of having a profitable business that was able to give back and give me the freedom to be in control of my own time came true. It’s always an important reminder to myself that nothing worthwhile comes easily!”
“We sell jewelry that is perfect for stacking and layering (particularly rings and pendants),” Ms. Kaiser said. “Our pieces are simplistic in design and minimalistic, with a touch of contemporary and pops of color through the use of semi-precious gemstones. We love highlighting certain gemstones within our pieces, especially opals, rainbow moonstones and diamonds. I want our customers to feel elegant and comfortable when wearing our designs.”
“Customers always comment on how dainty and elegant La Kaiser pieces are and how timeless they are,” Ms. Kaiser said. “I think the way in which we keep our collections very simple and wearable mixed with our use of certain eye-catching gemstones is what sets us apart. We are also priced very competitively!”
“We are a company that gives back to where we are from (Zimbabwe) and felt that My Trees Trust aligned with our mission,” Ms. Kaiser said. “My trees and the Zambezi Elephant Fund are both run by James Egremont Lee, and he’s dedicated to helping Zimbabwe. We decided to assist in the cause by donating and bringing awareness to his nonprofit organization.”
James Egremont-Lee, founding trustee and executive director of My Trees Trust, told the News-Press that the nonprofit is “excited to partner with Cindy Kaiser of LA Kaiser Jewelry, whose roots stem from Zimbabwe.
“Her willingness to highlight our great work in collaboration with the store’s grand opening will support the community and biodiversity of Zimbabwe,” Mr. Egremont-Lee said in an email. “My Trees’ mission to reduce the rate of natural woodland loss in Zimbabwe is important to us and to the global ecosystem.”
Email: kzehnder@newspress.com
FYI
LaKaiser Jewelry is open at 1101 State St. The business will celebrate its grand opening from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Thursday. This is an RSVP-only event. To make a reservation, email prinfo@lwoodspr.com.
For shop online at LaKaiser, go to lakaiser.com
For more information on My Trees Trust, go to mytreestrust.org.
