Pulse
BEAT
A PAIR OF GEMS
Kendall Beas and Mackenzie Riley turn their hobby into a business with RileyBea
BY MANDY HOLMES / PHOTO BY CLAUDIA JOHNSTONE
Jewelry designers Kendall Beas and Mackenzie Riley are bringing their creative craftsmanship to the social media savvy generation. Friends since they were teenagers, the former sorority sisters went separate ways after college to pursue careers out of state. By chance, they found themselves relocating back to Phoenix at the same time for new opportunities and rediscovered their shared passion for all things statement jewelry. It wasn’t long before the pair’s hobby of handcrafting earrings turned into a successful business venture and RileyBea was born. From bold earrings to everyday staples, the RileyBea collection is filled with pieces to make women feel on trend for every occasion and the duo believes that there’s something special about wearing or gifting handmade earrings that are only produced in small quantities. Every product used is personally sourced by Beas and Riley. “Through this process, we always consider weight as we want every pair to be light enough to wear all day. Because we self-source from various places, we create a limited supply making them more exclusive and distinctive,” Riley says. In addition to comfort, affordability is a top priority for the women. They are conscious to keep the materials they use reasonable and attainable while offering their customers a guilt-free price point. “The creative process is probably the best part of what we do,” Beas says. Sometimes spending months traveling to collect beads then conceptualizing the designs is what they thrive on. “We come up with a handful of concepts that we both love, show them to friends and family, have them rank their favorites, then decide what to move forward with. It’s a blast,” Beas shares. The most rewarding part is seeing their designs come to life on RileyBea customers. “We love to see how everyone styles them,” says Riley, who appreciates when she gets a notification that another happy RileyBea customer has tagged the growing brand on social media (@shoprileybea). Next up? Custom designs for brides and bridal parties. “We work with the bride on her vision and come up with a concept she loves. It’s so much fun and adds a sweet, ‘something new’ flare to her special day,” Beas says. Uptown February ‘19
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