Laurel Pantin

"I can't pinpoint the exact moment when Laurel came into my orbit. But through the magic of Instagram I gradually became more and more aware of this extraordinary woman, her incredible style, gloriously bizarre sense of humour and ever-evolving curation of tattoos. And then I met her in the flesh and discovered she’s even more enchanting than the internet can convey.

So what began as an internet obsession has turned into a friendship. It’s impossible not to love Laurel. She is intelligent, open, sassy, loyal and never ever takes herself too seriously; one of the most genuine women I’ve ever met, she epitomises everything an LD woman could be.."

View jewellery worn by Laurel

WELCOME TO THE COVEN, LAUREL

Let’s start with your story and how you’ve got yourself to this point. Give us some background about your business, what it does, what sparked it and what continues to fuel it.

I wanted to combine everything I learned as a magazine editor (editing product, writing, story crafting, editorial planning, storytelling etc) with what I learned working in retail at ByGeorge. My newsletter is a perfect place to blend those interests and now with a store on the horizon, I'm excited to bring everything to life even more.

Can you share some of the big things you’ve learnt since you started out?

The biggest thing is so boring, but it's to get all the back end, boring, un-sexy stuff done before you get to the sexy parts. You don't want to have to untangle a mess down the road, and if you still want to pursue your idea when you're in the weeds of bookkeeping and legal, that's a good sign that you'll have the passion and stamina to see it through to the end.

What have been your big successes or your moments that have felt huge?

Signing the lease on my store felt huge! I'm excited for it to open this fall.

What has surprised you about running your own business?

How full-on it is. I basically work all the time.

Anything you would have done differently?

More pre-planning, more organization! Ha!

Is there anything about your industry that you’d like to fundamentally change? Or anything that you think isn’t given enough attention?

It's so hard for people to get their start if they don't come from generational wealth. Entry level pay in fashion is so low, and if you have to self-support or have school loans to pay off it's almost impossible to survive.

Give us an idea about what’s coming up for you in the next year. What are you excited about?

The store! It's an extension of my newsletter and a space for both shopping and private styling, and I'm so excited to make it happen.

And tell me about the people who form your Coven. Whether they’re mentors, colleagues, peers within your industry or other founders who you’ve met while building your own brand. Who are the handful of women who helped you? What is the impact they have had on your success and growth? And importantly what are they doing that we should know about?

Right now, I rely really heavily on my crew. My agent Delphine is my constant sounding board, as are my friends. Gabby Katz has helped me a lot with working through the nuts and bolts of my store, and my good friend Heidi has been invaluable in terms of advice, gut checks and pep talks. Albert Mendez, who’s opening a very cool store in Austin, is a great friend and makes me laugh harder than almost anyone else. My mom is also very involved, especially in the planning of the store. There are honestly so many people giving me guidance and emotional support right now: Molly from ByGeorge, my best friends Emily & Mia, Victoria Lampley from The Stax, my husband, my nanny, my financial planners and CPA (lol but SERIOUSLY) - it all takes a village, especially when you have kids.

Lastly obviously because at LD, jewellery is our lifeblood, talk us through yours, both the old and the new. From the old, is there something that you inherited, and you can tell us who it belonged to and its significance to you now? Or from childhood do you remember any of the jewellery that your mother or grandmother wore? And for the new, what have you bought or been given more recently? What kind of piece are you drawn to? And what have you got your eye on for the future?

I have some pieces of antique jewellery that are really special. One that comes to mind first is an antique French Fede ring from the late 1600s that my husband gave me for Christmas years ago. I have a close relationship with Bell & Bird in Austin - they're exquisite antique jewellery dealers and I'm lucky enough to have a few pieces from them. The most recent acquisition was this dinosaur head pendant that I commissioned from Jenna Katz. It was made after my son’s drawing and it holds two of his baby teeth inside. You can read more about it here.

Six of the best. Give us some of your recommendations. What are your favourite -

Podcast: The Retrievals - excellent journalism, and a shocking story.

Book: I have so many but the last really great book I read was Long Island Compromise.

Hotel: Amangiri in Utah was one of the best stays of my life.

Beauty product: My longest-term beauty relationship is with VMV Hypoallergenics Boo Boo Balm. A do-it-all balm for lips, cuticles, everything. It is THE BEST.

London restaurant: It has been YEARS since I've been but the Palomar.

Holiday destination: I don't love going back to the same place again and again but living in LA we go to the Hamptons every August to see friends. We're going to Lanai'i this summer too which I'm very excited about.