All About Taylor Turner, Founder & CEO of Hazen & Co.

Taylor Turner is the Founder & CEO of Hazen & Co, a lifestyle brand cultivating inspired, joyful living through exquisite, handcrafted jewelry and accessories – all made with love in the great state of Texas.

Taylor is a sweet and inspiring young woman. I wanted to get all the deets to share with our lovely customers for our Hazen & Co. Virtual Trunk Show (April 30 – May 4, shop at www.berings.com)

What is “The Hazen Story”?

The Hazen story began in 2002, when I was 9 years old and a fourth grader at Houston’s very own Presbyterian School. After taking an after-school class to learn the skill behind jewelry-making, I invested my $100 of savings in semi-precious stones and began creating one-of-a-kind creations that I would then sell at my brother’s Post Oak Little League baseball games (the moms were so very dear to support this endeavor!). Quite quickly, this hobby took the shape of a business as I held my first trunk show at a store in Oxford, Mississippi at the age of 10 and attended my first Atlanta Market at the age of 12. Throughout middle and high school, I continued selling my product to stores, and while a freshman at Southern Methodist University, I decided to pursue Hazen full-time following graduation. Today, the Hazen line is represented in over 200 stores around the country with our headquarters and team set in Dallas. I continue to design every collection and work closely with our production team who is actually based in Houston. It has been one of the most unexpected joys and privileges to be on this Hazen journey, and a highlight is certainly having the line carried by Bering’s, my favorite childhood store.

What is your inspiration behind the lovely Hazen & Co. jewelry pieces?

Every piece in the Hazen line is designed to be enjoyed for years to come. When describing our product, I often say the overall style is classic yet on trend. Personally, I want to invest in pieces for my closet and home that will be relevant and just as beautiful in a year, 10 years and 20 years, so I design with that goal in mind.

With our Virtual Hazen & Co. Trunk Show launching this week, Taylor describes the inspiration behind the pieces included!

The Spring and Summer collections being highlighted in this trunk show are full of color and anchored in pearl. The brightness and luster that come from a pearl beautifully accent the pastels found in the Spring collection. Similarly, while Summer’s product array features bold pops of coral and aqua, it pairs back beautifully with organic Mother of Pearl elements. It’s as though you’re stumbling upon a piece of coral and a shell along the crisp ocean’s edge.

How have you been accessorizing while quarantined and working from home?

Working from home has certainly solidified my go-to accessories! During the weekday, I tend to gravitate towards the Hillary Earrings, the Claire Earrings, the Caroline Necklace, the Carnation Necklace and the Aster Bracelet. I’ve found myself getting “dressed up” by putting on a fun pair of earrings like the Darby Earrings or the Hazel Earrings. There’s something about fun earrings that makes a girl feel girly! It’s also become more evident to me than ever before that getting dressed (and accessorized) is simply good for the mind and spirit, so even if I go the whole day without seeing anyone, you can bet I’m going to have on some jewels!

What are some of your favorite Hazen & Co. pieces?

The Annabelle Necklace is one of those pieces that I imagine to be just as beautiful and classy in twenty years as it is today. This Spring, we launched the Annabelle Necklace in Rose Quartz. The combination of the soft pink with the luster of the baroque pearls feels so feminine and beautiful. While I’ve really never been able to pick a favorite piece, I certainly love the Annabelle Necklace in Rose Quartz.

How are you staying connected with your team during this unprecedented time?

I have the most amazing team of girls, for whom I am so very grateful! During this unique season, we’ve been doing lots of zoom calls and Facetimes. Prior to working from home, we had started weekly “Food for Thought” lunch meetings where we scheduled time and made it a priority to share a meal and ideas and be creative as a team. We’ve tried to maintain those meetings while being remote, and it’s personally been one of the most life-giving experiences during quarantine. During this unprecedented season, having this time to be creative seems to spur us towards new (and hopefully improved) ideas and approaches to serving our customers well and doing the work set before us in our industry as best we possibly can. Truly, that has always been my hope for how we operate as a company and how I lead, and now it seems to be even more essential for the life of our business.

What are your favorite things to do during quarantine when you are not working?

In the small windows of opportunity I have to do things other than work, I’ve had so much fun putting my Bering’s registry items to use by setting the table! Whether Alex and I pick up a meal or I cook (The Defined Dish’s new cookbook is my go-to), it’s been so fun and in many ways cathartic to set a pretty table. It’s almost like accessorizing– it feels intentional and purposeful and you’re always glad you did it once you do! We also set up badminton in our backyard, and Alex and I have jokingly determined that will be our “Quarantine Skill” on the other side of this. Lastly, I began reading Jennie Allen’s Made for This, and it’s been a very sweet joy during this season.