10 Questions with Lizzie and Kathryn of Lizzie Fortunato

I distinctly remember so many parts of my two-hour job interview here at Katie Kime, one of them being the topic of my Lizzie Fortunato earrings that I was wearing. I've been a long time fan of the brand and learned that day that Katie and Lizzie and Kathryn Fortunato, twin sisters and co-founders of the brand, went to school together at Duke. Katie actually shot some of their first photos in her dorm room! As friends that go back decades and fellow entrepreneurs, I was excited to hear more about their story, particularly the infamous check tale, and what we can expect to see from them in the future.

To start, can you tell us in your own words: What is Lizzie Fortunato, the brand?

Lizzie Fortunato is a NYC-based accessories brand co-founded by twin sisters Lizzie & Kathryn Fortunato, over 16 years ago. The brand is known for its mixed medium aesthetic and its “intentional” production: producing in limited edition runs and working with artisanal vendors around the world to incorporate natural and handmade materials in their head-turning silhouettes.

What did you each study at Duke? Did you always think that you would be doing what you’re doing today?

Kathryn: I studied economics and upon graduation worked on Wall Street. I definitely didn’t think this is what I’d be doing today.

Lizzie: I studied English & art history and always knew I’d be doing something creative, and think deep down, knew I’d be working for myself. I feel so fortunate to run this business with my twin sister, the entrepreneur of the two of us. I had to convince her to hop ship from her high-profile finance job to come run the business … Most creatives aren’t so lucky to have a sales and operations brain in the family!

KK has told me the infamous tale of “the check”– such an incredible gesture of love, belief, and support. Would you share that story with us?

Kathryn: I was finishing my first year at Goldman Sachs where I spent several years post-Duke graduation. Lizzie was working major hours (for barely any money!) in a fashion PR job she didn’t love and was making jewelry on nights and weekends. As the pieces started to get noticed, I realized that she had to take the leap and quit the job that was eating up all her time and energy to see if the jewelry business really had legs. On the morning of our 23rd birthday, I departed our Chinatown, NYC apartment hours before Lizzie was up (as was often the case) and left the bonus check from my first year of investment banking on the counter. Accompanying it was a note, something to the extent of “Lizzie: Happy Birthday. Now follow your dreams”. The check was for $10,000 and that was the only funding Lizzie Fortunato has ever received.

What are each of your roles in the business? Have they changed over the years? What is it like to be both sisters and business partners?

Kathryn: I head up all sales (both wholesale and working with our e-commerce manager to buy for our website) and operations. I used to wear every hat that wasn’t design (packing boxes; IT manager; HR coordinator) and while I still do a lot of the “small business work” outside of my job description, I’ve fortunately shed a lot of these extra responsibilities as our team has grown.

Lizzie: I am the Creative Director and lead the design team. We’ve always had these roles and have never had the desire to do the other’s work. I think that’s what keeps our sister/business partner relationship so successful; we both trust the other with their work and decisions implicitly and have never yearned to do the other’s job.

What are each of your superpowers… in business or otherwise?

Kathryn: We joke that I’m excellent at ordering from take-out menus. I always pick the best thing; Lizzie always picks the worst. At work I am a cheerleader; I have boundless energy. 

Lizzie: I’m incredibly handy. I’ve been known to strip tables, re-paint rooms, and rearrange a whole house of furniture in an afternoon.

What is the biggest win your business has experienced in the last year?

Lizzie: One of the things we’re most excited about in the past few months is the filming of a brand video with an extremely talented film crew and editor. This is something we’ve wanted to do for the last decade, and we finally filmed it this summer.  It’s now in the editing stages, but we’re brainstorming some creative programming to accompany its launch. We can’t wait to share it so our customers and followers understand even more about the Lizzie Fortunato universe.

What is the biggest challenge you’re working to overcome now?

Kathryn: We are continually working on scaling successfully and responsibly. By working with artisanal vendors, many of whom are using rare or hard-to-find materials (for example vintage beads or a semiprecious stone that is in low supply), our production runs are oftentimes limited. There’s a constant balance between wanting to scale and sell more, but prioritizing the limited nature of our work and continuing to work with small-batch vendors and exclusive materials. 

What can we look forward to from Lizzie Fortunato in the next year?

Lizzie: You can look forward to a big expansion of Fine 14K offerings. These styles maintain our colorful aesthetic, but now I'm sourcing really limited edition colored stones and working with goldsmiths to create pieces that use finer materials. As our brand has grown up, so have our customers and while we're all still wearing our signature fashion pieces, it's been really thrilling to create things that are a little more elevated! Plus, these investment pieces, are still meant to be worn all the time - they may feature emeralds and diamonds but they're still joyful and look great with a t-shirt and dress alike.

You two and Katie both seem to share a deep love for travel and exploration. What are the places that have truly changed you? Where do you hope to visit next?

Lizzie: Travel is the greatest luxury in the entire world. We’re so lucky to have been to so many interesting places where we’ve found inspiration. I’m writing this on an airplane ride back from Andalusia in Southern Spain and the Costa Brava – an incredibly special area of the Mediterranean North of Barcelona. The places that have most changed and influenced me: are Japan and India. I’m eager to visit Northern Europe / Scandinavia. 

Kathryn:  Morocco, Tanzania, and Japan are high on my love list, but Italy is my perennial favorite. 

What souvenirs do you bring home from your trips?

Lizzie: Vessels! I have woven baskets, vintage bowls, and artisanal-crafted ceramics from all over! 

Kathryn: Lizzie is really the shopper of the two of us! I have to reign her in when she’s in the Marrakech medina!

What are you inspired by right now?

Lizzie: I am always inspired by craftwork. I love finding a textile or seeing a ceramic or weaving and letting it sit with me, informing my designs. I’m inspired by things that take time.