A jewellery business from just outside London appeared at Paris Fashion Week runway show this month, just two years after the business started.
Dominique Croft, owner and designer of Elk & Bloom, unveiled her latest limited addition collection at Paris Fashion Week on 7 March.
Croft quit her corporate career to pursue her passion in her business and is now making six figures in profit.
She said: “It’s been an absolute whirlwind, my passion for the business has helped where it has got to today.
“It all happened so quickly, at first, I dismissed and deleted the invitation to attend Paris Fashion Week because I thought it was fake but a few days later I went back and realised it was real!
“I have never done a runway show before, so I was really thrown into the deep end to get new products, models and the collection ready but I was so happy with how it came together.”
The 27-year-old businesswoman designs and creates all the jewellery from home with a newly-hired colleague as the business is expanding daily.
The business has now signed a contract with Debenhams since returning from Paris Fashion Week.
Croft set up Elk & Bloom since noticing a gap in the jewellery market as she thought jewellery is either high-end, expensive pieces or cheap, throwaway pieces of jewellery.
She said: “There is a lot of jewellery that is very high end and upmarket that costs the consumer a lot of money, which would end up being an occasional piece to wear and so would be kept in a jewellery box most of the time or you have the throwaway fashion that is very cheap and tarnishes.
“So I wanted to create something that was luxury premium jewellery but an attainable and affordable piece.”
Elk & Bloom offers a unique gifting experience which adds a personal element to the jewellery for the customers.
Croft believes the personal element to the jewellery business is what has made it grow.
She said: “I want to keep the personalised element to the business whilst continuing to grow and get the name out.
“I want to stay as true to a small business as possible and make sure I keep a direct link and connection with my customers as I think that’s why the business is where it is today.”
Although the business has racked up £500,000 in sales since starting in 2021, Croft believes the company is still a small business at heart.
Croft said: “The business feels small to me because it’s just me and my office, but it hits home for me when I realise I am dealing with hundreds of customers.
“It has been a very much self-taught experience as I started doing beadwork and silver and then eventually moved into the gold market.
“Having this business is so much better than what my life used to be at my corporate job.”
