Purelei

Purelei is a German direct to consumer jewellery brand founded by Alisa Jahnke, Frederik Jahnke and Etienne Espenner. Inspired by the Hawaiian island lifestyle, it sells jewellery mainly online, through retail partners and its own stores.

What is Purelei?

Purelei is a German jewellery brand built around the Hawaiian island lifestyle. It is regarded as one of the largest direct to consumer jewellery brands in Germany.

History

The idea goes back to 2013, when co-founder Alisa Jahnke spent a semester abroad in Honolulu and fell in love with the islands. She bought a piece of jewellery on each trip to Hawaii and wanted to bring that lifestyle to Germany. After meeting her co-founders Frederik Jahnke and Etienne Espenner, who had already run an e-commerce brand for phone accessories, the team launched Purelei as a second brand, with first sales in Mannheim.

Products and positioning

Jewellery is the core product, including necklaces, bracelets, rings and earrings with an island inspired aesthetic. The brand has also released items such as advent calendars. Alisa Jahnke has described the aim as creating jewellery people want to pass down.

Distribution

The large majority of sales come from the online shop. Purelei also reached a network of around 250 retail partners within its first year, and has since opened its own stores in German cities such as Cologne and Münster. A company villa on Hawaii is used for creator and community events.

Why it matters

Purelei is an example of a social media driven, digitally native fashion brand that has expanded from online into wholesale and physical retail.

Frequently asked questions

Who founded Purelei?

Purelei was founded by Alisa Jahnke together with Frederik Jahnke and Etienne Espenner.

Where is Purelei from?

Purelei is a German jewellery brand, although its design is inspired by Hawaii.

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