Jewelry and lifestyle boutique, BOHINDI quietly opened up shop in Upper Arlington at 2134 Arlington Ave. in October. Owner Jamie Riley is featuring her personal jewelry designs along with other accessories and lifestyle items that invoke a bohemian and carefree style.
BOHINDI carries jewelry, incense, essential oils and apothecary goods made from all-natural ingredients produced by independent vendors.
“Our goal is to feature not only local, but people form all over the world,” Riley says. BOHINDI searches for vendors that are free from other large establishments and paving their own way.
The BOHINDI lifestyle is also focused on wellness and taking care of oneself.
“It’s not just what you accessories yourself with, but what you put in your body and in your mind,” Riley says.
Riley explains the state-of-mind behind the unique name. BOHINDI combines two words she feels envelop the brand – bohemian and indie. Bohemian represents the atmosphere of the store and the spirit of an artistic life. Indie signifies the indie designer; those who are independent.
As a brand, BOHINDI was originally meant to be an online venture. Riley conceptualized the style about two years ago and expected to keep it at e-commerce, even as recently as six to seven months ago. But when the photographer with which the brand shared a space moved out, BOHINDI had room to grow.
“It really happened organically,” Riley says. Organically defines much of the jewelry designer’s career. Making accessories since she could remember, Riley started selling her pieces in 2005. An Etsy shop that originally saw two to three orders a week exploded to 50 to 60 a day. Riley primarily designed women’s accessories but at a friend’s prompting, made a pair of cuff links. The links proved to be a catapult for the business.
While she had built a niche online, a brick-and-mortar opportunity became an exciting challenge for Riley.
“It really became, oh can I do this because I’ve been online?” she says. While it wasn’t always in the plans, she decided to pursue the business and see what happens.
As an unexpected venture, Riley has been very pleased with the reception. She says the store has created a consistent buzz without a lot of press thus far. The uniqueness helps bring an audience to the store.
“There is not any place in Columbus I know of like this,” she says, citing that customers seem refreshed by the hippie, carefree atmosphere.
Riley will follow up the UA store, which she says is currently the perfect location, with an e-commerce site in February.
For more information, visit bohindi.com.
