A New York City native, Michelle began her career in philanthropy after graduate school. She is part of a long family history of jewelers dating back to the 1930’s in Antwerp, Belgium.

Michelle noticed there was a need for affordable, yet stylish pieces of fine jewelry designed for the millennial woman. With that in mind, she decided to leave her corporate job and create Barbela Design in 2014. Her goal is to design jewelry pieces that can become staples in any woman’s jewelry box. Each piece emphasizes the perfect balance between urban and classic design elements.

Barbela has developed a loyal celebrity following which includes Khloe Kardashian, Nina Agdal, Vanessa Hudgens, Ashley Benson, Shay Mitchell, Ellie Goulding, Jenna Dewan-Tatum, Lucy Hale, Victoria Justice, Meghan Trainor– just to name a few!