How To Make Your Brand Stand Out

An interview with MOIRA X MEL. MOIRA X MEL: https://www.instagram.com/moiraxmel/?hl=en

Esteban: Hello Mel. I really appreciate you taking the time to speak with us today.

Mel: Of course, I’m happy to be here.

Esteban: To officially get things started, can you give us a brief intro about yourself and the brand?

Mel: Sure! I’m Mel Tanaka, a 25-year-old jewelry designer and founder of Moira x Mel. I graduated in architecture and design and later moved to Japan, where I’m now based in Tokyo. Moira x Mel started as a hobby around early 2021, when I was still in college studying architecture. I wasn’t initially planning to make a business out of it, but creating jewelry—specifically combining charms and beads—quickly became an obsession for me. By the fall of 2022, Moira x Mel officially launched. Our pieces blend magic, romance, and a little bit of edge to create timeless adornments. The brand has evolved into this fusion of organic symbolism with a slightly mystical vibe.

Esteban: Did you start the brand back in Turkey, or was it after you moved to Japan?

Mel: I actually started it back in Turkey, during my senior year of college. I didn’t even have my own room at the time—I was living in a one-bedroom apartment with my mom, so I worked out of our living room. I was in this weird phase where I didn’t really know what was next for me after graduation. I love architecture, but at the time, I wasn’t thinking long-term. I was just focusing on the present, which made me feel anxious about the future. Creating jewelry was a way to cope with all that uncertainty.

Esteban: It’s interesting how that creative outlet turned into something bigger. So, how did Moira x Mel evolve from being just a hobby into a business?

Mel: I started selling my pieces through a secondhand app based in Turkey, but I didn’t love the environment. That’s when I decided to create an Instagram account, and through that, I discovered the jewelry-making community. I started connecting with people, and from there, it grew little by little.

Esteban: Did it take a while for people to respond to your work, or was there a specific moment when things really started to take off?

Mel: It took some time. Building an Instagram presence is no easy task. But I had some confidence because I’d managed social media before. The real turning point came when I started working with silver. That gave me the freedom to explore more creatively, and the brand began to stand out. Working with silver allowed me to express more of myself, and that’s when the audience started growing.

Esteban: The shift to silver sounds like a big moment for you. Would you say your products were well-received from the beginning, or did you have to go through a process of refining your designs?

Mel: At first, I was just doing beaded pieces from home, and those were received well by a smaller audience. But once I introduced silver into my designs, that’s when things started to resonate on a larger scale. Silver allowed me to tap into a more romantic and edgy aesthetic, and people really responded to that combination.

Esteban: What led you to that “romantic edge” aesthetic? Was it something you always wanted to express, or did it come from a specific moment or realization?

Mel: It was a gradual realization. Initially, I didn’t feel like my pieces were unique enough. Before I was on Instagram, I thought what I was creating was one-of-a-kind, but once I saw what others were doing, I realized I wasn’t alone. That’s when I started questioning myself and my work. I felt like I was just creating for the sake of it, not truly expressing myself. Once I started working with silver and experimenting more, I found my style. It was a process of discovering what I really wanted to say through my designs.

Esteban: And how long did it take you to feel proud of the pieces you were creating—enough to want to share them with the world?

Mel: I’m always questioning myself, to be honest! Even now, before releasing a new piece, I wonder if it’s something I love and whether my audience will love it too. But when I created my first silver heart design, I had a moment where I thought, “This is something special.” That design really marked a shift for me.

Esteban: What was it about that design that made it feel special?

Mel: It was called “Somnia,” a silver heart piece that incorporated spiky, organic elements. Hearts are timeless, and I’ve always loved them, but I wanted to give them a twist by adding those edgier, spikier elements. It was a perfect blend of romance and edge, and that’s when I felt like I’d found my voice as a designer.

Esteban: Since then, how has your creative process evolved?

Mel: Back then, I was creating more for myself—just making what made me happy. But now, I think more about my audience and what they want to see. It’s about balancing my personal vision with what will resonate with people. I still aim to create pieces that I love, but I also take into account how they’ll be received. As the brand has grown, so have my responsibilities, and I sometimes wonder if I’m compromising my creativity to keep the business running smoothly. It’s a constant balancing act.

Esteban: What’s been the most challenging part of managing the business side of things?

Mel: The hardest part has been trying to manage everything on my own. My partner helps with a lot of the operations, like managing taxes and marketing, but he has his own full-time job. On the production side, I’m the only one, and it can be overwhelming. I work with a small studio now, but for a long time, I was working from home, which was mentally draining. Separating work from home life is difficult, and that really affected my creativity.

Esteban: Has it impacted the way you approach content creation as well?

Mel: Definitely. When I started, content creation was just about showcasing the products. But as the brand has developed, it’s become more about telling the story behind Moira x Mel. It’s not just about the jewelry anymore—it’s about the world we’re creating, the atmosphere, the aesthetics. That’s what I focus on now when I create content.

Esteban: So it’s evolved from simply showcasing your work to building an entire brand narrative. What’s been the biggest challenge in growing the brand?

Mel: I think the biggest challenge has been finding time to create new designs while also managing the business. It’s hard to keep people engaged while balancing production and creativity. And then there’s the competition—other brands come into the scene, and you have to constantly innovate to stay relevant.

Esteban: If you had to give one piece of advice to someone starting out in the creative industry, what would it be?

Mel: I would say take your time. Let your brand grow organically. Social media can make you feel like you need to reach a huge audience right away, but if your product isn’t ready, that can hurt you in the long run. Focus on honing your craft first, and let everything else follow naturally.