Some brands are built quietly, shaped by the people and places that surround them. Fourteen August Jewelry came to life within founder Diana Bufalini’s ever-entrepreneurial head while she was building her Pilates business. Practicing out of HudCo gave her a space to share early designs, gather feedback, and find confidence through community.
As HudCo hosts the Anine Bing pop-up this Thursday, February 5, Fourteen August will be on site as well, bringing Diana’s fine jewelry to life in person. Below, Diana reflects on how the HudCo community helped build early momentum—and why pop-ups remain essential for learning, growth, and connection.
How did Fourteen August first come to life?
Excitement is infectious. When I first started developing jewelry again and incorporated 14 August, I was happily growing my Pilates business at HudCo. As I realized that my designs could become a business, it was that community surrounding me that I shared my excitement with. They provided feedback, and, in some cases, they became customers. I felt like I had ‘my people’ around me to cheer me on in those moments where it all felt like a lot.
How did the HudCo community support you in building confidence, visibility, or early momentum for the brand?
Starting a business is daunting for any entrepreneur. What I’ve realized is that the difference between success and failure in those early days often rests on the support of your immediate community. I had an instant and palpable advantage in the community at HudCo. They supported me in so many ways that it’s difficult to really even think of them all — pop-up sales, marketing to the expansive audience, and the ability to mine the varied and significantly talented individuals in the community. They have become partners, vendors, and even consultants while my business was initially germinating, and even now.
What advice would you give to other creatives or entrepreneurs who are thinking about starting their own brand?
You’re not alone! When you think about your business, don’t just think about your product, don’t just think about your audience. Think about the ‘village’ that immediately surrounds you, your network, because they are going to be there to help!
Beyond that, be disciplined to your vision, sequence the series of events that have to happen that lead to success, stick to your plan, but be very open and alive to what the market is feeding back to you. For me, this has meant developing the jewelry that is truly meaningful and beautiful in my vision, while also adapting to what my customers were telling me.
To wrap things up — what’s your favorite part about doing pop-ups, and what do you love most about connecting with customers in person?
There is absolutely no substitution for human contact in a business like mine. I provide a curated and luxury product, but really in many cases, it’s also a service. A client that chooses to spend their time and money on something beautiful deserves and values speaking to the designer, at times being part of the process, and becoming part of the story.
Pop-ups are not only an amazing way for the luxury jewelry customer to become a stakeholder in something beautiful, but it’s also invaluable for the designer. It’s instant feedback, it’s networking, it’s community. You will learn more from looking into the faces of your customers than you could in almost any other selling medium — seeing how they react to a piece, speaking to them about what it means to them.
It’s not just a place to sell. It’s a place to learn.
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Join us at HudCo on February 5, 11a–7p to shop the Anine Bing pop-up, explore Fourteen August in person with Diana on site, and make a day of it. Stop by Picture Book to browse, grab a coffee or treat from Boxing Day Café.