Style & Beauty |
The Trahan Family L-R: Bodie, Olivia, Mack, Cleo, Rusty, Vera
FAMILY WORKS:
Lustre
Vintage, New And Bridal Jewelry for the Accessory Enthusiast by Kerri Cooke
Last year, a new sign was erected at 3308 Ernest St., replacing Jewels by Mitchell. Promising a luxurious experience, the store rebranded to Lustre after a change in ownership. Olivia Trahan, who had run the store for nine years, took over the reins after doing a buy-out from her fatherin-law. 3308 Ernest St. has a special claim to fame. It was one of the few houses that wasn’t torn down to make way for I-210. The building was originally the childhood home of Bobby LaBauve, who ran LaBauve’s Jewelers downtown near the Paramount Theatre. LaBauve returned to 3308 Ernest St. and operated his business from this location until he was bought out by Mitchell Trahan, Olivia’s father-in-law, in 1989. LaBauve’s Jewelers served the community for 23 year and Jewels by Mitchell continued a legacy for another 64
Thrive Magazine for Better Living • March 2025
35 years. Olivia attended LSU in pursuit of an interior design degree before transferring to McNeese and attaining a degree in finance. In 2016, Olivia was asked if she would be willing to assist Jewels by Mitchell during the Christmas season. She never left. The team at Lustre is entirely female, even the jeweler, which is a rare occurrence. While Olivia’s husband, Rusty, is a co-owner of Lustre, he doesn’t work at the store unless the team is swamped and needs help with watches and repairs. He did, however, work at Jewels by Mitchell for 11 years while in high school and college. When she began working for Jewels by Mitchell, Olivia says she still had a love for and interest in design. Once she gained experience
“seeing all the gemstones, playing with colors, designing rings, it all clicked.” Olivia continues some of the practices her father-in-law instituted such as changing watch batteries free for veterans, active military and first responders. He also taught her that a jewelry store “always needs to have something in the store for every budget.” The team sells new and vintage jewelry and enjoys repurposing old pieces. “We like to take an antique stick pin nobody wears anymore and convert it into a necklace,” Olivia says. The Lustre style is described as avant-garde and eclectic. The team purchases jewelry from vendors and even the community. “Some pieces come in that are being worn away. We preserve as much as we possibly can because they don’t make things like they used to, and we want to preserve that