There’s something about the name, Je La La!, which emanates with a certain joie de vivre. Whether it’s Lulwa Al-Terkait’s desire to make sure any piece you select to wear from Je La La! elicits an admiring applause of ‘Ooh La La’s’ from bystanders, or simply this exquisite jewelry line’s very playful name. Ultimately it’s the clever mix of both, that makes owning a piece by this designer an elusive must.

An admirer of all kinds of stones and metals, Lulwa created her authentic jewelry concept after she realized that the local market is missing from the market. Coming from a Public Relations and Media background, Lulwa adds that she had to design the pieces she wore to work and social functions. She first designed a funky, silver and 18k gold plated bling bling chain that had the inscription, “L to the A” written on it. This accessory addict started her small concept in 2007, and after several small exhibitions, Lulwa kicked things up a notch by establishing a fully-fledged business in 2009. Today, Je La La! stands as an absolute trend setter. The ear cuffs collection launched in 2012 created a frenzied response from the regional and international fashion crowds, marking a milestone for the young designer. Her aim from this edgy collection is to show different sides to this much-loved trend. Envision the traditional, the minimalist, the dreamy and the modernist, using different colors and stones, ranging from classy zirconia to colorful corals.

Lulwa believes that inspiration comes from everything and anything. She might not have a specific muse, yet this Piscean resorts to her love for the seas and the skies to realize her vision of freedom and tranquility. She states, “They are always powerful yet calm and their color no matter how the weather is, is always mesmerizing.” In addition to her passion for nature, being exposed to stones and colors from studying cultural arts of all kind from all over the world through the Internet or via traveling, reenergizes her ideas and continues to inspire her to this very moment.

Ensuring that her collections are accessible, yet still effortlessly chic, to all of her customers, Lulwa employs a lot of zirconia and silver in many of her pieces. She adds, “I always make sure that every collection I release have items with corals and pearls or turquoise, which usually give a sense of romance and culture to the piece. Not only does this help in expanding my customer base, this shows different sides of my character and my capabilities in designing.” On the other hand, Lulwa employs precious stones and diamonds for the select line of personalized and solitaire jewelry. This added sense of flexibility charms more customers into falling in love with her vision of fabulous, yet also affordable, bling.

What’s even more admirable about Lulwa is the mere fact that she still hasn’t pursued Je La La! full time because she loves her day time job, working in the field of Public Relations at a non profit organization that deals with children with learning difficulties. Not only so, she’s a devoted mom, and even though many people wonder how she can manage a full time job, a family, and Je La La!, she takes on the challenge in full stride.

A typical day in Lulwa’s world starts off with emails and social media to stay updated, then she goes over the order sheets with her staff, ‘hits’ the workshop for updates, and starts revising the delivery schedule for inside and outside of Kuwait. We’re tired just typing this, yet it doesn’t even end there. After all of that, she goes on to examine stones and finalizing new designs to be implemented. Of course, all of this happens after she comes back from her day job and spends time with her children, so her day starts at the workshop in the evening.

Since the first piece of jewelry she designed for herself, Lulwa has learned that patience and commitment to self-made deadlines, does pay off. She highlights that the most important factor to ensure success is customer service, as customers will only come back this way. This bling-loving, workaholic tries her best constantly, and never gives up on herself.

For the future, Lulwa foresees more and more ‘bling’, as Je La La! began participating in international jewelry fairs representing Kuwait as of this year. Starting off with the international jewelry exhibition in Paris, Lulwa believes that’s going to be a stepping-stone for Je La La! to compete on an international level. Besides the expansion, she is also working on releasing a new collection of hoop earrings and ear cuffs.

For more information visit www.jelala.com. You can also check out Lulwa’s latest posts on Instagram, @Jelalajewelry and Facebook: Je La La! Jewelry.

Je La La! Authentic Jewelry is found all over the GCC countries, Kuwait at Daz boutique, Oman at Minis boutique, UAE in Sauce store, Bahrain in Powder Closet and KSA in Cugini Boutique.