Maria Dueñas Jacobs established Super Smalls in 2019. It is a fun and playful jewellery and accessories brand for children aged 3 to 13. And includes jewellery sets, hair accessories, crafts, beauty and seasonal bundles, all priced under $60. Dueñas Jacobs was formerly the Accessories Director at ELLE USA, as well as the Director of Brand Development at Stitch Fix. Her “eureka” moment for Super Smalls had been building up for a while.
“I’ve worked in the fashion world for many years and have a really solid understanding of the accessories market—my time as a magazine editor was such an education in aesthetics,” she says. “My identity as a mom is also super important to me, and as my girls started to get older and experiment with their own senses of style, I noticed them constantly gravitating towards my pieces. They were never satisfied with the plastic trinkets I’d get for them, always preferring to sneak into my collections. It just clicked for me, I knew I could create the look and feel of the fancy grown-up stuff but made for play. My oldest daughter, Luna, has been incredibly involved, helping us brainstorm and giving us feedback. She calls herself our Kid-in-Chief!”
The idea behind Super Smalls is that pieces feel like luxurious gifts. Each item is meant to feel exciting and indulge imagination. Packaging, as well as the pieces themselves, are bright and colourful, fun and fresh, joyful.
“I adore jewellery and have been collecting it for a very long time,” says Dueñas Jacobs of her own relationship with gems and jewels. “I imagine that will always be a part of my life. Even after all the jewels I’ve seen, it still takes my breath away. Everything from the stones to the metals to the history and techniques—I totally nerd out over it all! I love that I’m creating a jewellery collection that I’ll be able to pass on to my girls someday. And through Super Smalls, I love that I’m creating jewels they (and so many kids all over!) can enjoy and play with and experiment with now.”
There is the “Power Lunch” ring set; the “Me Time” double ring set; the “Big Presentation” mega set; “Dinner and a Movie” earring set, among the collection, which extends to around 60 SKUs to date.
“My passion for what we’re creating with Super Smalls is what drives me every day—it lights me up and keeps me motivated!” says Dueñas Jacobs. “That said, building a business is a major rollercoaster. In some ways, my naiveté was a blessing. Had I known how hard it was going to be, I might have been discouraged. But luckily, it’s been so fun and inspiring along the way because I truly LOVE the brand, our products, and our vision. I’ve learned so much!”
