Meet the Maker

Marie-Lauren Romano is the designer and founder of Australian cult jewellery brand, MLR. The eponymous label is an extension of the painter turned jeweller; celebrating spontaneity, beauty and chaos.

Taking private oil-painting lessons from the age of ten and accepting a place in RMIT’s Bachelor of Arts (Textile Design) program at 17, flexing was always on the cards for Marie-Lauren. In her final year, the designer met the method that would make MLR the brand it is today; the art of lost-wax casting. Armed with this ancient technique and an ambition to slay, Marie-Lauren creates unconventional and unapologetically experimental adornments.

But, before launching her own label, Marie-Lauren took some career detours. She contracted as textile designer for Australian department store Myer, completed a Master’s in Management (Marketing) at Melbourne Business School, and spent a brief stint in adland. Tired of hustling for another man’s brand, Marie-Lauren launched MLR; a label that would let her creative spirit soar, without the suits and spreadsheets.

Influenced by a melting pot of sources, from ancient jewellery to innovative street-style, MLR is as bold as its wearer. The label revels in the unrefined, the unconventional and the imperfect - a brand built by a creative for creatives.

‘There's a confidence in MLR that’s hard to come by. It's bold, and as such, its wearer is bold. MLR is a brand built by a creative for creatives; emanating a sense of effortless beauty and confidence, that you simply can't help but stare at.’

- Marie-Lauren Romano