Nik Nak: Captivating curated collections

An online jewellery store offering an alluring array of adornments and the friendliest customer service along with an emphasis on empowering women, Nik Nak is the brainchild of Nirukshi De Lanerolle. The jewellery on offer is sourced from overseas and statement pieces make up a prominent portion of the products on offer. The specially curated collection encompasses a wide variety, with every jewellery lover certain to find something that appeals to them. Following are excerpts of an interview with Niru on the venture she steers so successfully:

Q: Could you tell us a little bit about yourself?

 I am one of six siblings, the youngest. My mother, a true matriarch, always inspired us to be the best version of ourselves, despite our circumstances. I am married to my supportive and wise husband, now for over 38 years.  My career consisted of administrative and secretarial roles mostly, but in 2006 I began working at Sarvodaya, in donor relations, in order to do something more meaningful with my life. Through this experience, I met a young American woman who had just started a therapeutic jewellery-making project for young survivors of rape, who were also pregnant. This charitable project was the turning point of my life, I was all in from day one, and have been for over 15 years.

Nik Nak Founder Nirukshi De Lanerolle enjoys being her own boss and the conversations she has with Nik Nakers are the highlights of her day

When you purchase a piece from Nik Nak, you have a real woman ready to empower you by elevating your look at the end of the line

Q:  How did Nik Nak come about?

When it came time for me to retire, I had already understood the trends of jewellery making and sourcing. I began to dabble part time during festive months for personal gifting. Retirement was not something I was looking forward to; while I welcomed more free time, the ‘hustle,’ as the kids these days refer to it, was 

calling me.

I had always wanted to be my own boss, running small businesses and sales in my free time. I set out to strengthen my jewellery sourcing contacts in Asia and rallied my daughter who has an eye for content, to begin a small online jewellery business about two years ago.

It has been incredibly fulfilling, finally calling the shots, earning something that is uniquely mine, finding more ways to connect with my daughter, and, above all, my daily interactions with the ‘fam’ or the clients Nik Nak is very grateful for, who come back again and again with each collection drop. 

Q: What are the Nik Nak products available and what’s the price range?

Nik Nak drops ‘collections’ every two to three months. Ranging from catchy names like ‘Desi Baby,’ an Indian inspired Boho collection, to ‘Hot Girl Summer’ inspired by the empowering rap anthem, each collection is bold and flamboyant and in line with its theme. 

The prices are incredibly affordable, as all the jewellery is costume jewellery. The price range starts as low as Rs. 400 and can go up to Rs. 2,000 for a statement piece.

Q: How has the reception been and what are the fastest-moving designs?

 Better than expected. Most of our pieces are considered statement pieces and are very colourful and intriguing. We expected only a small group of Lankan women to want to make such bold statements, but we were so wrong! We have women from across Sri Lanka wanting to secure a piece that will elevate their look. We are glad to be able to support women who do not shy away from being the centre of attention, as they should be. 

Q: Where are the products sourced from?

 I have made contacts with sellers across the Asian continent. They often move from business associates to friends and I quite enjoy learning about their countries and hope to see some of them as the pandemic eases.

Q: How can people purchase your jewellery and how long does it take between placing an order and delivering? 

 We work with a great local courier partner, we can deliver on the same day through ride-share services, which is a per-km calculation, or you will receive it within 48 hours depending on the country situation. 

Q: You emphasise on empowering other female entrepreneurs, forging partnerships with other female-led businesses. Could you tell us about that?

 From the logo design to our packaging, to the partners we work with for pop-up sales, our first aim is to work with women. When it comes to creative services, this has proved very easy; unfortunately the sellers in the region are usually all male. Shout out to Gayathri Perera who designed our logo when we were struggling to find a starting point for this small business. 

Q: What can we expect next from Nik Nak and you? 

 I plan on continuing to work well into my old age. This business keeps me updated with trends and technology. Google is my best friend! Social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook make running my business on the platforms quite easy and learning these systems encourages me to stay on the ball. I quite enjoy being my own boss and the conversations I have with our Nik Nakers when they have sarees that need matching sets of earrings are the highlights of my day. 

I believe the plan for Nik Nak is to ensure that when you purchase a piece from us, you always have a real woman who is ready to empower you by elevating your look at the end of the line.

Pix by Upul Abayasekara