Kathy Croman never meant to start a jewelry brand. “It was honestly by accident; I never envisioned having my own jewelry line,” the Hawaii-based designer shares with Grazia USA. But during the Covid lockdown, Croman started creating pieces made with pearl and inspired by the natural beauty of the ocean and elements on her island homeland. “I do love jewelry so much and it’s definitely my love language,” she explains. “It was during Covid that I dove back into jewelry making as a hobby for friends and family.”
After creating a set of baroque pearl bangles, (still the brand’s No. 1 bestseller), Croman posted a photo to Instagram. “Friends instantly asked if they could buy it,” she says. “Before you know it, I had orders all over my bedroom.” And so, the Kaia Sage jewelry line—named for Croman’s daughter—was born.
“Soon after that, I was at Bloomingdale’s shopping with girlfriends in the fine jewelry department, and this woman approaches me and asks where I got my bangles. I told her I make them.” The women turned out to be the GM for Bloomingdale’s and quickly set up a pop-up with Kaia Sage.
“Two months later, we did a pop-up, and I sold out within a few hours,” says Croman. From then on, my husband encouraged me to create a website and make it official. He really encouraged me to start my own brand, which I did. I was a stay-at-home mom for so long, I was nervous to start something and put myself out there; I was afraid of failure. I learned that you must be vulnerable and be willing to take that chance on yourself. I’m so glad I took a bet on myself because I’m still standing and doing incredibly well.”
Kaia Sage – effortlessly chic, one-of-a- kind designs that are made with sustainability in mind – is now sold at luxury resorts around Hawaii including 1 Hotel Hanalei Bay, Mauna Lani, and The Ritz Carlton Kapalua with more to come. Starting with the viral pearl bangle, the line now includes stunning pearl drop earrings, turquoise hoops, and statement studs as well as choker necklaces and anklets.
As the brand expands, Croman is a one woman show, doing everything from designing the pieces, to photography, marketing and even shipping orders. And she’s ready to take things to the next level.
“I see the brand expanding; I’ve already seen it grow so much just in the last year,” Croman says. As she looks to the future, Croman envisions a larger team to help with the operations and growth. “I would love a women-led team to grow with the brand. I envision Kaia Sage in a lot of luxury resorts around the world in tropical destinations such as Hawaii. I love to travel, so even traveling to do trunk shows, and meeting clients from all over the world is so exciting.”
When she isn’t focusing on growing the brand and creating new designs, Croman makes sure to take much needed time for herself. “I look at every day as a gift,” she says. “It took many years to not feel guilty about this, but I believe in investing in yourself and prioritizing yourself first. It’s like you have to put on your oxygen mask first before anyone else. I truly believe that, because if I’m not happy, neither is my family. I do a lot of self-care. I love a good HydraFacial! Anything beauty related, helps me to relax and unwind. And I walk 6.5 miles every single morning. It’s my non-negotiable. It’s my meditation.”
