Great ideas often spring out of smaller successes, such as when My Trio Rings developed its Full Brilliance collection, the wedding jewelry brand’s first foray into plus sizing.
When the My Trio Rings team saw the immediate reaction to Full Brilliance, they realized the plus-size community was underserved, says founder Punit Shah. That’s when an idea struck and stuck. They’d launch a new business—something that not only served this community but also sought to develop on-trend jewelry.
The result is Mabel & Main, a new company that debuted in June 2021 focusing on plus-size couples, developing wedding sets and accompanying jewelry. The Mabel & Main brand offers a wider array of ring sizes, but it also highlights modern styles, Shah says.
“We were proud of what we did [at My Trio Rings], but we realized we could do more,” Shah says. “We want to build something for a group of people who have not yet had a chance to have a voice.”
Another way Mabel & Main is working to stand out is its relationships with a variety of Instagram influencers, leading athletes, and bridal experts. Its goal is to develop unique collaborations that give the Mabel & Main customer beauty, function, and an accessible price point, says Kelsey Forrest, content and social media manager.
Forrest says she scoured the web and social media sites to find the brand’s key collaborators, including Chasi Jernigan, whose Sweetheart collection focuses on diamonds and sapphires; the Chunky Goddess collection with Tammy O. of The Chunky Bride; and the Enjoy Curves collection, inspired by Joy Moreland of the Instagram brand Enjoy Curves.
Shah and his partner Vipul Lakhi have been in bridal since 2009, launching My Trio Rings as a way to give couples affordably priced wedding sets. Its goal is to be the modern jeweler for the modern couple, Shah says. In the following years, it became clear that jewelry stores and direct-to-consumer companies weren’t offering the kind of sizing or styles that appealed to a plus-size, fashion-forward customer.
Shah also notes that Mabel & Main, to his knowledge, is the only fine jewelry focusing on serving the plus-size community. Its sizing is patently different than most within the industry, Shah says. While the industry uses a standard size 7 for women’s engagement rings, Mabel & Main designs its rings at a size 12 base mold. The M&M brand also increases ring widths along with comfort tapering, ensuring a comfortable fit.
Overall, Shah says his company seeks to create what he calls “inclusive sizing” that can go up to a size 20 for women and 24 for men. Other jewelers may offer a limited selection of up to size-10 rings, and these may not follow recent trends, he says.
Most importantly, it uses purposeful design, Shah says, such as diamond coverage across and down the sides of its rings, making sure every stone sparkles as it should.
Mabel & Main also chose its collaborators with forethought, Shah and Forrest say. The idea is to create authentic following and engagement rather than just looking at the individual’s number of followers as a reason to work with them. The goal is to work with people who understand the challenges of purchasing plus-size jewelry and who want to help their followers as well.
Michelle Carter is a good example of the kind of influencer Mabel & Main wanted to work with as the brand got started. Carter is an Olympic gold medalist in shot put, known as the Shot Diva. She also hosts sports camps called You Throw Girl, helping girls feel empowered and strong in a multitude of ways. A portion of the funds raised through the purchase of the Shot Diva collection will go toward a sponsorship at You Throw Girl, Shah says.
Carter says she enjoyed the design process and calls the entire Shot Diva collection “versatile and wearable,” thanks in part to the work of Ally Davis, the brand’s head of merchandising.
“Ally’s designs embody everything a woman would look for to bring out her inner beauty—classy but not demure and flashy but not overpowering,” Carter says. “This line is for women by women. Whether you’re a world-class athlete, stay-at-home mom, or boardroom diva, the Shot Diva collection can take you anywhere.”
Top: Michelle Carter is one of the influencers Mabel & Main is working with as it debuts its brand, which focuses on giving the plus-size community both great fit and style in their engagement rings and related jewelry, says cofounder Punit Shah (photos courtesy of Mabel & Main).
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