Marlaina Stone
Marlaina Stone, owner and founder of the Marlaina Stone artwear collection began working in the fashion industry at the young age of 16. Her talent and drive earned her prestigious positions in large corporations, in which she was responsible for 10 stores, $30 million in annual sales and 400 employees by age 24. However, Marlaina had an innate entrepreneurial drive that wasn’t being fulfilled. Always confident, always a leader, Marlaina ventured out to make her own mark on the fashion industry which had so inspired her. Her mission was simple: to design a line of artwear that would provide women with a product and experience that could never be duplicated—an escape from the ordinary.
Marlaina Stone, Inc. was conceived in 2007 when Marlaina realized that she could no longer quell her entrepreneurial spirit. Marlaina decided to channel her love for accessories into her own daring and decadent line. She quickly realized that her early designs strongly embodied the characteristics of people in her own life; they had distinct attitudes, exhibited strength and power, and each had a story to tell. It was at this juncture that the term artwear came to be, as Marlaina felt that “jewelry” simply didn’t do them justice. Marlaina’s credo, “Call it a necklace, call it a bracelet, call it a ring, but whatever you do, don’t call it jewelry,” reflects her fearless ambition and passion for creativity. Shortly after Stone had laid the foundations of her artwear collection, she was introduced to award-winning metal artist, Ashley Heidrich. Heidrich brings five years of jewelry experience and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in Metals from Wayne State University to the Marlaina Stone team. But it is her ability to look at things differently that makes her an asset. From music to fashion, from science to nature, her ideas can come from anywhere and everywhere.
What began with a couple of pieces created by Marlaina and Ashley in a friend’s basement is now an outstanding collection of 95 pieces produced at the Marlaina Stone Studio in Royal Oak, Michigan. Now with a team of 8 designers, they aim to turn out five new one-of-a-kind pieces each week.
