Izabela Calik is the owner of IC Luxury Fashion Network and Jewellery Designs. We had several questions for Izabela about how she started out as a jewellery designer, what it’s like running her own business and how she’s grown her business to where it is today.

Check out our questions and Izabela’s answers below.

1 What has your journey been like as an entrepreneur and Jewelry Designer?

I have started my business as a jeweler designer about 3 years ago and had organized my fashion events to collaborate with right clientele and spread news about my work.

With the time I realized how difficult is to spread news about your products when you are emerging designer, so I started to fight for my contacts - magazine, press, bloggers, celebrity stylists and fashion lovers, then I started to organize much bigger events and inviting others fantastic designers to support each other’s and share our top contacts. That way born IC Luxury Fashion Network, where we organize luxury fashion events in central London to promote selected designers and connect with VIP guests.

2 Where did you study to become the successful entrepreneur that you are?

I have studied Master of Social Communication in Poland, then in London I have finished several jewelry courses to develop my hobby and future career.

3 Did you remember your first job, was it related to Fashion?

During the University time I have worked in Bridal Shop in Poland where beautiful dresses has been created on the backhouse, added embroidery, learn about fabric quality and interact with customers on the shop.

My first jewelry collection it was embroidery work so I believed my first job influenced me and made me appreciate hard work of small items what take so long time to make it.

4 What being a business owner means to you?

A lot  I know what I want and I like to fight for it. It is very hard work, much harder than most of us imagine before starting the business. For the beginning you need to forget about dream office hours and really work hard. But there are big pluses about being your own boss too - like flexibility or doing what you love.

5 Who is your favorite jewelry Designers, did you have a mentor?

I like several designers who inspired me. I am personally very much influenced by Latin style, Spanish temperament and beautiful stone work. I am currently working on embroidery collection what will appear in jewelry, but as well in accessorize - for this reason I will need to say big name as Dolce and Gabbana, but I love handmade work of emerging artisans as well like Sylwia Calus who works with resin material, or Tuloa who makes traditional silver and gold pieces.

6 How do you get inspired? What are some of the things you do to get motivated to design?

Working in fashion industry, especially fashion network requires to attend lots of fashion events, meet artists and designers and understand their needs and their world. I am spending lots of time in fashion exhibitions, fashion shows, art museum, or just simple watching programs or attending courses to develop my skills and create beautiful things.

I believe everything what we see might inspire us -interesting drawings, music, feeling, style of someone on the street.

Fashion is motivating factor itself, we want to create and have something unique and really special, plus creating process might be really inspiring.

7 What are some of your favorite goals? How do you plan to achieve those goals?                                     

My first goal is grow IC Fashion Network where we can regularly connect designers with top fashion bloggers, celebrity stylists, media, and press and fashion lovers during exclusive events.  I really would like to make this big, earn the designers trust and provide them with bigger opportunity to reach influencers to grow their brands.

8 How do you promote your business?

I promote my products mostly on my exclusive fashion exhibitions and events, but as well online and with several shops in London, Ibiza, Marbella, and Poland.

 9. What is your most significant achievement so far?                                                                                         

Run business what help myself and others in the same time. Attract wide, fantastic crowd from 200 - 500 people who want to collaborate with new brands/designers.

10 What is the best advice you have received in business that you wish to share with our readers.

Don’t give up :) and find right exhibitions, events for your brand. There is a lot of bad and good events what offering different experience and serve different needs, find the right fit for you and surround yourself with positive people!

Photography owner: Izabela Calik

Wrote by Stella Maris Haefele

Fashion Journalist

Founder and CEO, Haefele.Fashion