Company that has won the hearts of the wealthy.
Company: Alex & Ani Company
Owner: Carolyn Rafaelian-Ferlise
Location: 115 Pettaconsett Ave., Cranston and Tribeca, N.Y.
Employees: 40-45 in the factory
Type of business: Jewelry and accessories manufacturing
Annual sales: WND
Carolyn Rafaelian-Ferlise of Cranston has put Little Rhody on the fashion map with Alex & Ani, a high-end fashion jewelry and accessories company that has established a name for itself in some of the country’s most exclusive department stores.
“I always knew I had a flair for fashion, creativity and I’m particular,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “Alex & Ani is an extension of who I am inside and out.”
Born from her father’s wholesale, bridal and rhinestone jewelry manufacturing company, Cinerama, which he founded in Cranston in the mid-1960s, Alex & Ani began as an outlet for Rafaelian-Ferlise’s creativity. The result can be seen in magazines, fashion houses, Emmy awards, clothing stores and on the wrists, fingers and necks of the rich and famous.
Rafaelian-Ferlise returned to the family business in 1992 after living in Manhattan, designing the occasional jewelry piece for friends.
Her interest in the trade began as punishment for misbehaving as a child.
“When we got into trouble we had to come here and card jewelry,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “There were five of us [kids] so my mother had to get rid of us somehow. I guess I got in trouble a lot.” Which was, in retrospect, probably a wonderful learning experience for this mother of three. “But it kept my brother and sisters away.”
One family member, beside her father, is still very active in the “family business,” and is the other half – the nuts and bolts – of the Alex & Ani family team. Rafaelian-Ferlise’s sister Rebecca Rafaelian-Caruolo handles the financial and manufacturing end of the business, while Rafaelian-Ferlise handles the design and conceptual end of Alex & Ani.
“She crosses my T’s and dots my I’s,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “I’m more the creativity part.” And for almost 10 years, she and her staff have been creating exotic and unique pieces for names like Fred Segal in Los Angeles, Henri Bendel in New York, and for private labels like Express, Arden B and The Limited. Alex & Ani fashions have been seen on stars like the cast of the HBO hit Sex and the City and Britney Spears, who received a special hairpin from Alex & Ani for her 21st birthday.
“We started the whole bug and butterfly (hairpiece) craze,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. And that other stretched, beaded bracelet craze – the designer said she started that one as well. And if that weren’t enough, she introduced her own beauty and skin care line less than a year ago.
“This has been two years in the making. My personal passion was to find a scent that wasn’t synthetic, that was my own,” she said. “I’m into clean beauty, and with the beauty products, I wanted the best of the best.” Although Rafaelian-Ferlise sells her beauty products to a limited number of stores, she sells it on her Web site: www.alexandani.com.
“I’m not giving it to just anybody,” she said. “It’s very special to me. The whole line was designed for me.” The line includes eye cream, body lotion, scent, soaps and lip products.
Rafaelian-Ferlise and Alex & Ani have come a long way from buying vintage jewelry and stones and designing jewelry for friends in her Manhattan apartment to all but taking over the family business. Rafaelian-Ferlise was quick however to say that she respects and appreciates the roots of her enterprise.
“Cinerama’s the factory and the foundation for Alex & Ani,” she said. Her father is still active in the business, although the wholesale and bridal aspect of the manufacturing is much smaller than it used to be. But success for Alex & Ani didn’t happen easily.
“The success of this company has been years in the making,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “What I did in the beginning was extra. It was, ‘let’s see how far this can go.’” Rafaelian-Ferlise began at the University of Rhode Island studying business and art, moved to Los Angeles and “finished in London.” She gradually established the Alex & Ani name, through a showroom, sending her collections to stores and gathering contacts along the way.
“There are not that many leaders and a billion followers,” she said. “In this business, you’ve got to be one step ahead and onto the next thing” to keep yourself on top. And when your creativity is running full-steam ahead, it’s that much easier to stay there.
On an average week, Rafaelian-Ferlise sends her clients 20-50 different items to choose from. At one time, she might be working on 10 different projects – two days focused on one item, then onto the next thing. Right now the big thing is enamel, she said, cuff bracelets, vintage-style items and some of her own creations that she’s keeping secret.
“I dream about stuff,” Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “I have three girls,” so there’s no shortage of ideas. In fact, Alex & Ani is named after her eldest daughters, Alexandria and Ani. The youngest, Alivia will soon have a home goods line named after her, called Liv, Rafaelian-Ferlise said. “This is my legacy for my daughters,” she added.
With a line of truly all-natural, pleasantly fragrant beauty products and a fashion jewelry and accessories collection that the stars are proud to wear, Rafaelian-Ferlise has turned a life-long passion into a fun way of life.
“I’m not jaded by the beauty world because I’m not really in it,” she said. “That’s what’s great about having a passion. I love what I do.”
For the complete current issue, visit our subscription Web site, or call (401) 273-2201, ext. 227 or 234.
