As Mignon Faget looks to expand worldwide, its CEO says the New Orleans–based fine jewelry brand’s evolution from regional player comes with excitement and confidence that its jewelry will be well received.
“As a business, we’re navigating new waters,” says Maghan Oroszi, who became CEO earlier this year after company founder Mignon Faget retired. “We’re growing, but we also want to make sure that we stay rooted in the culture of New Orleans. That’s where our heart is, and we know our culture has value outside of this region.”
Mignon Faget pieces are inspired by life, nature, and architecture in the Big Easy, as New Orleans is nicknamed. The company takes local icons and honors them through jewelry—for the recently released summer collection, it’s the banana leaf. The tropical leaves of the banana tree shade many of the city’s pathways, says Oroszi.
“You can’t get away from the banana leaves in New Orleans—yards are overtaken by them,” she says. “The new collection comes in part from a banana leaf pin Mignon herself designed long ago and we came back to revisit. We wanted to create this bold summer look, and we were drawn to it. We wanted to go back and see what else we could do with it.”
The Banana Leaf collection is at once whimsical and refined. The cuff bracelet (above), for example, looks like the wearer picked a leaf off the tree and wrapped it elegantly around her wrist, letting its purity—and any imperfections by Mother Nature—shine. Mignon Faget offers this wide, richly detailed leaf replica in 14k gold, sterling silver, and bronze (the latter so it’s affordable for all the brand’s collectors).
Other Banana Leaf pieces, such as the multistrand necklace with aventurine and malachite gemstones, are meant to be compatible with leaf-shape signature pieces by Mignon Faget There’s even a Banana Leaf belt buckle for those maximalist fashionistas to partner with the jewelry, Oroszi says.
These designs are both tied to New Orleans and universal. Faget’s personality also comes through in its other offerings, including the iconic Oyster chalcedony pearl necklace, the ring cast from a real sand dollar Faget found on an area beach, and the beloved Sno Ball pendants that you see everywhere around New Orleans in the summertime. The company also will add layering pieces for those who want a daintier look in addition to the jewelry it has long been known for, says Orsozi, who’s been with the company for 14 years.
“We’ve definitely always been bold, and we’re going to continue to lean into that,” she says. “When Mignon started the brand 54 years ago, she created models hand-carved in wax, and we still have the in-house ability to do that. For us, it is a mix of 3D modeling and wax as appropriate. We’re careful to do everything in a way that keeps it sculptural like Mignon did.”
Carrying on Faget’s vision and her love for the city should help the brand connect with future customers, Oroszi says.
“A lot of people think of New Orleans as a party city. We want to show that it is a place that also knows how to celebrate in an elevated way. That’s our culture—a celebration of life,” she says. “New Orleanians live every day to the fullest. Let’s enjoy our lives.”
Top: A model wears the cuff, statement earrings, and ring pendant from Mignon Faget’s new Banana Leaf collection. (Photos courtesy of Mignon Faget)
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