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[title]When 12-year-old Hannah Vasicek's mum enrolled her in a beading class in the rural town of Hawksnest, NSW, it was mainly to keep her hyperstimulated child occupied. She had no idea that it would be the catalyst for Hannah and her sister Rachel co-founding Francesca, a multi-million dollar jewellery business.
In the years that followed, the Vasicek family moved to Tasmania where Hannah would continue to practise her craft, teach it to her sister and sell their creations at the local market. At first, it was a way for Hannah to financially support herself through her law degree — but when she graduated and Rachel finished high school, they decided to take the leap and commit themselves to the business full-time.
"A lot of people were telling us that we were wasting our brains," says Rachel. "They were like, 'What do you mean, you're going to sell jewellery?' But at the end of the day, we reflected on what made us excited and what made our hearts sing — and it was creating jewellery."
After trademarking the brand name Francesca in 2011, the sisters quickly had to become jack of all trades. They couldn’t afford any employees early on, so they had to learn everything from accounts, photography, design and business from scratch.
"There have definitely been huge challenges along the journey," says Rachel. "But because we had each other, I think it made it a whole lot easier. And being completely self-taught, I think there's an element of beauty in that, in the sense that you really own your brand."
It was a while of putting in the hard yards, with the sisters not paying themselves wages for a few years and putting everything they earned back into the business. But the sacrifices proved worthwhile, with the first brick-and-mortar store opening in Hobart in 2013 followed by a flagship store in Melbourne Central in 2016. "We used to say we want to be on the mainland, and for Tasmanians to say that is huge," says Rachel.
While these are huge milestones on their own, what makes the Melbourne store extra special is that it was partly paid for using a crowdfunding campaign. The sisters leant on their loyal customers, offering a piece of jewellery in exchange for money for a deposit, and they reached their goal within just two weeks. And now, more than a decade after launching, Francesca employs around 65 employees and has evolved from selling predominately handmade pieces to more refined cast metal jewellery.
The massive range encompasses everything from necklaces and bracelets to earrings and rings, and there’s a large focus on personalisation. The locket collection has sold more than 30,000 units since launching in 2021, and shoppers can become designers using Francesca Create, picking their base (necklace, bracelet, hoops) and then adding on as many charms as their heart desires.
“It still doesn’t feel like we’ve gotten too big for our boots yet,” says Rachel. “You know, I’ll get on a plane and see people reaching up for their luggage with a Francesca bracelet stack on, or walk past someone holding a Francesca carry bag and think, ‘What the heck? How did this happen?’”
And because the sisters believe that success is meaningless unless you’re giving back, at the heart of it all is a commitment to donating to charity. If you purchase from the charity collection, proceeds are donated to a different organisation each month. To date, Francesca has donated nearly $1 million to charities across Australia, including the National Breast Cancer Foundation, Be Hers, Make-A-Wish and Endometriosis Australia.
Francesca Jewellery is located on level two of Melbourne Central, and you can also shop the full range via the Francesca Jewellery website.
Looking for more local, feel-good businesses? Bravery Co sells stylish headscarves to raise money for cancer research, and you can eliminate single-use plastics from your routine with Zero Co’s refillable range.