Jewelry Designer Mimi So Creates New Collection with a Special Meaning

For jewelry designer Mimi So, natural diamonds are all she has ever known. Being the daughter of a jeweler, Mimi grew up learning about the beauty of natural diamonds and was captivated by the whole process of jewelry creation. She began working behind the counter at her parent’s jewelry store from a young age. “I can recall it as if it were yesterday; how happy jewelry makes everyone. I always thought, “How great would it be if I could have a career that was always celebrating the milestones in people’s lives?”,” she exclusively told Only Natural Diamonds. She continued, “What a privilege it is to create jewelry, which touches someone’s soul and that they cherish every day the connection of my designs.” 

Mimi recalls receiving a piece of diamond jewelry each year for her birthday. “From childhood to adulthood, I recall each birthday gift and how the size of the diamond would get larger as I got older.” She joked, “So naturally, I was always eager for my birthday to come faster. Not so much today, I’d rather slow that clock down now!”

An artist at heart, Mimi has collaborated with Tatcha’s Global Director of Artistry and Education, Daniel Martin, to create the Parson’s Collection, enlisting esteemed musical composer Chloe Flower for the launch of the campaign. 

The Parsons Collection is named after Mimi’s alma mater. “It is inspired by the time I spent exploring the creative arts.” She continued, “It’s a journey I started during childhood when I first picked up a paint brush and felt the endless possibilities of creative expression. The Parsons collection reflects my desire to encourage the power of hope and creativity in others.” 

Daniel and Mimi were introduced to one another by Michelle Yeoh, while working with her for the 2022 MET Gala. Chloe, who had met Mimi through Daniel while celebrating the Lunar New Year, told OND, “We just hit it off! I learned about her work and then this project and all of her passion behind it so I was excited to play a small part in bringing it to life.”

You may be thinking what does a jewelry designer, a makeup artist, and a composer have in common? Mimi said, “The most special part about our collaboration is the camaraderie, each of us comes from a very different industry but we share a common thread, a form of beauty that touches us intimately.” She continued, “How we were able to weave our diverse talent into one unified design to convey the message to follow your path, to “Paint your dreams”, in a singular vision.”

Chloe shared an important message behind the collection saying, “I think it’s really important as an Asian American to support other Asians and I love supporting female entrepreneurs.” She continued, “And the message behind the ring that Mimi has created and Daniel put his special touch on is just amazing.”

For Daniel, his primary role in the collection was creating the particular shade of red to grace her signature paintbrush ring. He told OND, “It was really fun to better understand the relationship between visual art and makeup from one another’s perspectives. And learning so much about metals, like how different color golds look on different skin tones.” 

Mimi told OND, “The stories I tell through my designs are always nurturing and empowering.” She added, “I have subtle messages behind each collection, authentic life journeys of my own that others can relate to in their own way. To take hardship and turn it into a positive message is the way I design as it matters to me what I put out there.” She continued, “Even the beauty of the diamonds I use in my designs can carry a beautiful message that just makes the whole piece even more special.”