Transcending Expectations
BRAND STRATEGY, BRAND IDENTITY
The Brief:
With many years of experience in white-label jewellery design in London’s historical jewellery quarter, Elise Friedman came to me to define her first eponymous fine and bespoke jewellery brand.
The goal? To authentically connect with a woman she felt was being overlooked, and to position the brand as the go-to destination for discovering jewellery that felt both timeless and deeply personal.
Let’s start with the reality of the market. Fine jewellery is crowded, traditional, and often emotionally distant. Especially at a luxury price point.
I conducted in-depth interviews with past and prospective customers to understand how modern women navigate jewellery today, what turns them off, and where existing brands were failing to truly connect.
What kept coming up? A sense that luxury jewellery still speaks at women, rather than with them. Or is bought for them, rather than by them.
The Research:
Rather than simply creating another premium jewellery brand, the brief shifted to something sharper:
Create a brand that understands women as multidimensional and gives them permission to choose jewellery on their own terms.
This wasn’t about status or occasion dressing. It was about self-definition.
The Brief, Reframed:
The audience became a modern woman who values individuality, sensuality, and meaning just as much as craftsmanship.
She isn’t looking to follow rules or traditions. She’s looking for jewellery that reflects who she is, not who she’s expected to be.
The Audience:
The problem wasn’t product quality or design expertise. Elise already had that in abundance.
The issue was differentiation. In a luxury market full of sameness, there was little emotional connection and even less space for women to see themselves reflected in the brand story.
The Problem:
The Insight that changed everything? Jewellery becomes powerful when it’s chosen for the self, not prescribed by tradition. Women don’t want jewellery that defines them. They want jewellery that mirrors them. Objects of personal symbolism that celebrate individuality
The Insight:
The brand was positioned around the idea of liberating women from outdated norms.
Fine and bespoke pieces became objects of meaning, sensual, expressive, and meticulously crafted. Pieces allowing women to transcend expectation and tell their own story.
From here, I worked with Elise to translate this thinking into a visual and verbal identity that redefined what a luxury jewellery brand could look and sound like.
Her own perspective as a founder became central to a distinct brand personality and messaging framework, balancing refined artistry with a disciplined, methodical approach to craft.
To support long-term growth, I delivered a comprehensive brand guideline covering brand voice, visual identity, and practical usage, ensuring consistency while leaving room for evolution.
The Positioning:
Women don’t want jewellery that defines them. They want jewellery that mirrors them. Objects of personal symbolism that celebrate individuality
Elise Friedman, Founder
Other than being wildly funny and kind, Hilary’s ability to craft thoughtful, compelling brand identities is undeniable. What sets her apart is her deep focus on understanding the human side of a brand—getting to the heart of who the brand serves and what it stands for, even in some cases pre-launch. This clarity shines through in the work she did for ELISE FRIEDMAN.
Implementation and rollout
To ensure seamless application of the new strategy and identity in-house, I provided a comprehensive brand strategy roadmap alongside a set of brand guidelines. This provided a foundation for rollout across key touchpoints and channels, future campaigns and collaborations, as well as training or future brand development.
