Natalie Wood Designs is a jewelry company founded by Natalie and Ken Wood, Texas A&M University graduates from the class of 2011.
It was while co-owning Sabi Boutique, in about 2014, that Wood transitioned into her new business, selling her share of the store to her sister and mother and building up Natalie Wood Designs in Dallas.
“After being in the retail industry for many years, I realized there weren’t enough brands ... that were [bold] in their faith and [creating] these positive communities for women to be a part of,” says Wood. “I had been an artist growing up, and with my love for retail and art, I believed [my husband and I] could create this company.”
Wood, raised in La Grange, graduated from Texas A&M with a biomedical science degree and a minor in creative studies.
“I was going to be a doctor, that was the one goal that I had, but I had always loved fashion, so I really felt like God was tapping me on my shoulder and leading me a different direction,” says Wood. “I could remember what people wore to the Oscars, but I couldn’t remember diseases after I took a test.”
Wood describes herself as a southern girl and a proud Texas A&M graduate, two of the things that keep her tied to Bryan College Station, and she is eager to share her originally designed jewelry with the community.
“I chose jewelry because it has an artistic approach,” says Wood. “Every piece begins as one of my sketches. That is what separates us [from other jewelry businesses]; we are not creating prefabricated jewelry, we are literally designing every single piece in our collection that is unique to Natalie Wood Designs.”
Wood has an u
nconventional approach to designing her collection, but it comes from her background as a creative growing up in the South, she says.
“There is a lot of southern influence in my designs, but they are also very classic,” says Wood. “I grew up surrounded by strong women in my life, my grandmother in particular — she was the epitome of classic.”
Wood worked to focus on meeting that classic approach in all her pieces. They are great pieces that can be transitioned from season to season and year after year, she says.
“We don’t like following trends,” says Wood. “We like to set them and we are setting these classic fronts.”
Wood’s favorite piece is the “Believer earrings.” The pair of drop earrings featuring a hidden cross within her signature design is a bestseller.
“It is really what started the brand for us,” says Wood. “You will see that crosses are one of our signature styles. This piece in particular, the cross is hidden, so not so bold but it’s there, representing something that is personal.”
Earrings, necklaces, bracelets, and rings are included in Wood’s collections and she is hoping to expand in other categories in the future. For now, her target customers are women who want to embrace the mission of Natalie Wood Designs, “Designing affordable luxury jewelry and inspiring and encouraging women to live beautifully,” and live it out.
“We hope through jewelry we can impact [women] in some way,” says Wood.
The Bryan College Station community can shop Natalie Wood Designs locally at Sabi Boutique or visit www.NatalieWoodDesigns.com.
