Mahlia Collection
Tucson, AZ
WON: 2011, 5th place, Small Cool; 2008,
June monthly feature
For Konstantina Mahlia, designer and president of Mahlia Collection, her jewelry has always been about a lifestyle, not a location. A former interior designer, Mahlia used stone floors, cappuccino-colored walls and burgundy claw-footed armchairs in her original location (opened in 2007) to showcase the luxury of her brand. Three years later, she moved into a historical building complete with terracotta saints on its tile roof and a warm, rich interior scented by her own line of candles.
“From day one, I did not understand the status quo,” says Mahlia. “Jewelry stores had glass-fronted cases filled with little forms that held the jewelry up in sparkling bright lights to tempt clients to buy. My stores were at the forefront of the ‘concept’ store movement taking off in Europe within the luxury industry, and a concept store meant a lifestyle store that also sold jewelry.”
Today, Mahlia has moved that experience online. “I found the store overhead hard to justify. I was more of a digital baby and was always determined to get my product directly in front of the customer on a computer,” she says. “That was always the future to me: global digital access. Today’s store is a smart, digital portal with the best online service and photography.” Check out her sumptuous and well-designed website at mahliacollection.com.