A glitzy, busy business

Alicia Robinson

Check out Newport Beach designer Yvette Mandell’s clothes, and you’ll

see they’re all about glitz.

Her fun, sporty tank tops, hooded jackets and shorts are

emblazoned with her designs, such as an Armenian cross or her

signature princess crown, and they’re studded with rhinestones for

that extra touch of sparkle.

She started her eponymous clothing business three years ago and is

now on the verge of much wider recognition, selling her clothes in

small boutiques as well as Bloomingdale’s and Nordstrom, Fred Segal

and a few stores in England and Japan.

Designing is her passion, but there’s a lot more involved in

running a business, and for now Mandell does it all. The mother of

two works 15-hour days to order the clothes, send them to get silk

screened and rhinestoned, pack orders for clients and handle billing

and accounts.

“It’s a one-man show, and I’m doing everything, so needless to say

there’s not a lot of time to organize,” she said. “Fortunately, my

husband has supported me with this business and helps me out with the

children’s homework, [and] he takes care of putting them down at

night.”

Her industriousness today is no surprise to her mother, Claudette

Mekalian, who said as a girl Yvette loved doing crafts but was also

good at math.

Now that the business is taking off, her daughter is constantly

busy, Mekalian said.

“The phone never stops ringing. She’s on the phone 24/7,” she

said.

There have been a few bends in the path Mandell took to get to

where she is today. After starting out college studying industrial

systems and engineering at USC, Mandell switched to a business major

and worked as a financial analyst for a few years after graduating.

She had dabbled in designing jewelry and belts and wanted to do more

to express her creativity.

“I felt there was a need for some jeweled tank tops in the market,

and I had a lot of ideas,” she said.

She got her clothes into stores by doing all her own legwork at

first, going into stores and boutiques and convincing them to stock

her merchandise.

“I went into a couple stores that said rhinestones are out,

they’re over,” Mandell said. “In my opinion, with women, rhinestones

are never out, and everyone always wants a little bling in their

life.”

Now her focus is on growing the home-based business. She now has

her clothes in four showrooms, and she’s looking to expand sales, but

she doesn’t plan to sacrifice her attention to detail.

“I’ve never been late on a delivery,” she said. “I’ve always been

a little bit of a perfectionist.”