Akaila Johnson is a New York City based designer who grew up with a serious love of anything that sparkled, often spending hours attaching rhinestones to everything she deemed too plain. Her love and appreciation of art and design was heavily fostered by her grandmother, who was constantly taking her to different museums, the theater, and ballet. She knew early on she would only be content building a career that would allow her to express herself in a creative way, but wasn’t sure exactly what that would look like.

It wasn't until moving to New York as a new college graduate, and touring GIA’s campus at the urging of her mother, that Akaila knew she had found her place. There she spent two years studying Gemology and Jewelry Design (both mechanical hand rendering and computer aided design), building an inventory of exceptional gemstones, and sketching designs on every loose scrap of paper she could find. In 2020, after creating a few pieces for select clients, and with the unending support from her family and friends, Akaila chose to launch her namesake brand.