Nashira Arnó never set out to become a jewelry designer. But what began as a side project in 2016 fashioned itself into a thriving business that blends sustainability, craftsmanship, and deep cultural roots. Her brand uses 90% recycled materials and hires artisans from different corners of the world to make her designs, including a family-owned collective in Thailand.
Arnó’s path to designing sculptural jewelry wasn’t linear. She started in fashion, working with heavyweights like Macy’s and Oscar de la Renta after moving to New York City from the Dominican Republic. But she found herself drawn to the intimacy of jewelry making — a craft that allowed her to both channel her Caribbean heritage and collaborate with artisans across the globe.
Full circle from abuela’s atelier with Von Furstenberg
While Arnó thought of herself as an outlier growing up, she realized that her creative drive was a product of her upbringing. She has vivid memories of her mother creating three-dimensional artworks that combined collage, painting, and actual jewels: “I’ve been begging her to make that again,” she said.
Her grandmother also played a role — she worked as a seamstress for Diane von Furstenberg after immigrating to the United States in the 1970s. This connection came full circle when Arnó landed an internship with the brand after moving to New York to pursue design. “I really think that we have glimpses in our lineage that take us where we are supposed to be, whether it’s obvious to us or not,” she said.
Forging sustainability
To Arnó, sustainability is largely about spotlighting what artisan communities have already been doing for centuries. “My artisans are the most precious things to me,” said Arnó. “They’re really hard to find. It’s not like you Google, you know, this technique, artisan in the middle of nowhere in Mexico — you just have to be there and find it.”
That search for authenticity, she jokes, also allowed her to justify travel. This quest has taken her to Mexico, Taiwan, Thailand, Japan, and Brazil, as well as her homeland in the DR, forging relationships with the people who help bring her designs to life.
“Once you open a door, you find new routes,” Arnó said. “Initially, for me, it was just about having the audacity to go to these people and sometimes not even tell them, ‘I want to work with you,’ but ‘I want to learn from you.’” She soon became involved with various nonprofit organizations that support artisans worldwide. It was a way to both understand how to ethically work with them, but also better access these creators.
Back when Arnó was working in the corporate world of fashion, she saw a lot of unethical practices, such as appropriation. Designers would travel for inspiration, then co-op ideas from artisans and send them to factories in China and the U.S., she says. It sickened her to see that “we’re very much killing craft history,” Arnó said. “My version of sustainability, it’s giving the spotlight to these artisans to highlight what they have actually been doing for centuries, and giving it a platform.”
Arnó’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond just sourcing. Her designs prioritize modularity, allowing customers to repair, remake, or add to their existing pieces. She will also work with clients to breathe new life into old jewelry. “I want you to walk away with a pair of earrings that you’re gonna wear for the next ten years and beyond,” she said, but which can easily be fixed or transformed as needed.
The growth of a studio
Nashira Arnó Studio grew slowly and organically, with social media acting as a powerful incubator. Still, the road wasn’t always smooth. For years, production remained a lingering issue. Then, in 2020, Arnó had a serendipitous meeting with the third-generation owner of a Thai artisan collective. It resolved her long-standing concerns about production quality.
“I always say that I started the brand in 2016, but I started a business in 2020,” she said. Forced to reassess her priorities, Arnó took the leap and committed to Nashira Arnó Studio full-time.
A new solar system of design
Arnó’s best-selling collection, “Sol,” created with Dominican artisans, draws inspiration from the solar system and evokes memories of warm Caribbean nights under the stars. The timeless designs — simple circles and spheres — taught her a valuable lesson about creating beyond the fast-paced fashion cycle.
“Until that point, I was disillusioned with the idea that I had to create something every four months, which is what I learned from corporate and how the industry moves,” Arnó said. But she soon realized that for jewelry in particular, that’s not true.
Her latest work embraces modular design, offering pieces that can be reimagined and personalized over time. Its solar system design is also a nod to the interconnectedness she feels with the artisans she works with and the customers who wear her designs.
As her business grows, Arnó has her sights set on personal styling services, bringing her signature blend of culture, sustainability, and storytelling into yet another realm.
“Jewelry is beautiful and it’s important [to] adorn ourselves — but for me, it was always this journey of, ‘what else is there, and how can I create these in a way that is meaningful?’” Arnó said.
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