By Sara Ross
08th Oct 2023
08th Oct 2023
Originally a lawyer by trade, Sara Ross set up her own jewellery business – FiorSó – in 2021 after her youngest child was diagnosed with cancer. Taking time out of her career to care for her daughter, that time also encouraged her to pursue her creative passions. Here she tells us more about her brand.
Tell us about you and your brand
My name is Sara Ross and I set up award-winning jewellery brand FiorSó in 2021. We’re based in Kerry and make beautiful statement jewellery. We’re known for pairing gold tones with vibrant coloured enamels and pearls in our jewellery, often with a hint of Art Deco and Art Nouveau design. Being a jeweller is my second career and my true passion. I was a lawyer before that and had studied and worked in London, Paris and Shanghai. The rich Art Deco and Art Nouveau architecture of those cities has always resonated with me and strongly influences the designs I create for FiorSó today.
Life is busy running a business and raising two small children, but I wouldn’t change it for the world! You can find our jewellery in selected stores in Ireland and the USA, along with certain high-end online platforms, and at fiorso.ie.
What is your mission?
Our strong jewellery designs and vibrant colourways allow our customers to stand out from the crowd, to feel powerful and confident, and to reflect their personalities without needing to shout about it. As our jewellery is also feather-light, our customers can wear their statement pieces all day and into the night.
Did you always know you wanted to be a designer?
Yes and no! I’ve always been creative and dabbled in jewellery making and other arts, but I made a decision in my teens to pursue a (sensible!) legal career. It was a great career but, as I climbed the corporate ladder, the job and family responsibilities meant I had little time to pursue my creative passions. However, in 2018 everything changed when my youngest child was diagnosed with cancer at age three. It put things sharply into perspective. I watched her unbelievable strength and bravery in the battle (and thank goodness coming through the other end). As she recovered, I started doing art therapy, and it re-ignited something inside me that I just couldn’t put back in a box. In 2021, I set up FiorSó and have not looked back since!
What kind of items do you stock?
We design and make statement earrings, necklaces, bracelets and rings. We have six collections: our new Gl? Collection which we launched at Brown Thomas’ Create 23 this summer, it features Art Deco geometric designs embellished with delicious neon enamels; our Deco Classic Collection of Art Deco geometric designs embellished with black, blue, green and red enamels; our Calla Lilies Collection of calla lily flower designs paired with colourful Swarovski pearls; our Reverie Collection of Art Nouveau designs of cherry blossom, daffodils and poppies; our Industrial Collection of colourful anodised aluminium jewellery; our Bridal Collection.
What new brands or items are on your radar?
I love to support Irish design. Emerging brands like Lia Cowen and Caoimhe Murphy are very exciting. I also recently bought a fab dress from Cobbler’s Lane – it fits beautifully, and Ejay Griffin’s pieces are fab.
Was funding a concern when starting out?
I was lucky that I was able to fund the start-up myself with money saved from my lawyer’s job. I also made a conscious decision to grow FiorSó slowly and organically so that helped, but it’s always a concern for any business to keep an eye on the bottom line. The creative industry can be a challenging one.
Best business advice you’ve gotten?
Don’t be a busy fool! Your time is limited so it’s important to direct that time to tasks that will ultimately benefit the business.
Favourite fashion/design accounts you follow?
I follow all sorts of art, fashion, architecture and jewellery accounts. I like to draw historic inspiration from accounts like @bijouxancienslyon, @artnouveauclub and @vamuseum. I also like to see the prints from Jam Art Factory and the joy of @interiorcurve’s designs!
Best fashion purchase?
My recent favourite is my vintage 80s lemon yellow dress from London – it sounds horrible, but it looks good (honestly!)
Other Irish brands you love?
I love vintage – Sybil Connolly and Neillí Mulcahy are great examples of fabulous Irish design.
Most useful learning since setting up a business?
Quality is so important. We treat every order as special in its own right – it’s not just the jewellery that needs to be great quality, it’s the packaging, gift-wrapping and presentation – the whole experience. People remember that and recommend us to others. Word of mouth is how we have grown and will keep growing.
Proudest moment so far?
Oh, there are a few! At the beginning, it was the small things just after we set up, like the first order we received that was from someone we didn’t know, and the first international order we received. Then there’s the time American country music star, Lainey Wilson wore our Deco Earrings on stage at the Country Music Awards in Nashville. Being invited by Brown Thomas to launch our A/W22 and this year’s A/W23 collections at Create have definitely also been highlights.
I want my brand to be remembered for… beautiful colourful statement jewellery that makes you feel amazing when you wear it!
If I could have anyone wear my designs it would be… Imelda May or Beyonce would be amazing!
Imagery provided by Sara Ross.
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