Heather Airgood and her husband, Wes, opened Wanderlust Jewelers in Cleveland Heights in 2011, after both had studied fine arts and worked for other jewelers. Since then, they've grown their company to include not only custom jewelry designs, but also heirloom rebuilds and repairs. Heather was kind enought to answer some questions for us about being a local fashion entrepreneur, business advice and finding inspiration. See what she had to say:
What made you decide to open Wanderlust Jewelers?
Wes and I decided to open Wanderlust after working in the industry for a while and seeing value in our design approach. We do primarily custom work making engagement rings, wedding bands or heirloom rebuilds and found that there weren’t many people in the area doing the same thing. We can incorporate heirloom gemstones, diamonds or elements into our designs that make them truly one-of-a-kind for you. Our design process is unique to each client and always involves hand-drawn sketches and collaborative design.
Why the name Wanderlust?
Wanderlust really defines our drive and desire to keep our life and business kind of looking over the horizon at what is new and upcoming. It keeps us engaged and open to new possibilities.
What advice would you give someone starting a fashion-related business in Cleveland?
Find out what makes you unique and what you have to offer that no one else is doing. Be adaptive.
Do you have a favorite piece you've designed, or a piece with a special significance?
Truly, each one is new and exciting because of the different energies that our clients bring. Every piece is a different design challenge and set of parameters. We love them all.
Where do you find inspiration?
The collaboration with clients is the best part. We meet so many amazing people with interesting backgrounds and great ideas. We also see beautiful antique pieces that our clients bring in - pieces even dating back to the early 1800s, and it is always an inspiration to see a piece of history sitting in the table and how they were constructed.
Learn more about Wanderlust Jewelers at wanderlustjewelers.com
Wanderlust Jewelers is a member of The Keep It Local Project. The Keep It Local Project connects local people to local businesses in the Greater Cleveland area that drive our economy. To learn more, visit www.keepitlocalcleveland.com.
