Tell us about Crave. How did it come into fruition?

T: CRAVE began with a simple belief: pleasure should be beautiful. As an industrial designer, I couldn’t accept that intimacy products were treated as an afterthought. They deserve the same level of design, craftsmanship, and intention as any object we choose to keep close. When we launched, the category was (and largely still is) dominated by things meant to be hidden. I wanted to create pieces people felt proud to own, wear, and display, objects that inspire confidence rather than novelty or shame.

In what ways is building a business today different from what you imagined?

T: I always knew building a business would be hard, but I didn’t anticipate just how hard or how many roles I’d have to embody at once. The perseverance required is absolutely mental! The responsibility is constant, always expanding, and just when you think you’ve found your rhythm, a new challenge arrives. But it’s also deeply rewarding. I feel a sense of fulfillment in bringing an original idea into the world, one that has captured people’s imagination, and seeing it grow into a brand that is now highly respected in the industry.
I do feel that being a female founder in a “taboo” category adds another layer entirely. This industry has historically objectified women, so earning credibility wasn’t easy, especially when I entered with an avant-garde idea about flaunting pleasure instead of hiding it. But as our team grew and we stayed consistent in creating original products that genuinely delighted people, the perception shifted.

Tell us about Crave. How did it come into fruition?

T: CRAVE began with a simple belief: pleasure should be beautiful. As an industrial designer, I couldn’t accept that intimacy products were treated as an afterthought. They deserve the same level of design, craftsmanship, and intention as any object we choose to keep close. When we launched, the category was (and largely still is) dominated by things meant to be hidden. I wanted to create pieces people felt proud to own, wear, and display, objects that inspire confidence rather than novelty or shame.

In what ways is building a business today different from what you imagined?

T: I always knew building a business would be hard, but I didn’t anticipate just how hard or how many roles I’d have to embody at once. The perseverance required is absolutely mental! The responsibility is constant, always expanding, and just when you think you’ve found your rhythm, a new challenge arrives. But it’s also deeply rewarding. I feel a sense of fulfillment in bringing an original idea into the world, one that has captured people’s imagination, and seeing it grow into a brand that is now highly respected in the industry.

I do feel that being a female founder in a “taboo” category adds another layer entirely. This industry has historically objectified women, so earning credibility wasn’t easy, especially when I entered with an avant-garde idea about flaunting pleasure instead of hiding it. But as our team grew and we stayed consistent in creating original products that genuinely delighted people, the perception shifted.

“This industry has historically objectified women, so earning credibility wasn’t easy, especially when I entered with an avant-garde idea about flaunting pleasure instead of hiding it.”

“This industry has historically objectified women, so earning credibility wasn’t easy, especially when I entered with an avant-garde idea about flaunting pleasure instead of hiding it.”

Have you felt the power of the female community in building Crave?

Absolutely. Not just women, but men and people in general. CRAVE exists because of our community. From the very beginning, people championed the brand by sharing their stories, buying CRAVE for their friends, and wearing our pieces openly in the world.

My support system is made up of a close-knit group of creative women, fellow founders, and the customers who write to us about how our pieces made them feel or the memorable experiences they had with them. I keep a file of notes I’ve received from people over the years, and on my lowest days, I look through them to remind myself why this work matters.

You’re an industrial designer, activist and a conceptual artist — what does it mean to balance those worlds?
T: For me, these worlds are not things to balance but currents I move between, each taking the lead when needed. They are not separate. They are different expressions of the same ideas, shaped for different purposes. The how, who, and why shift with the work, and navigating that with intention is part of my creative practice.

Industrial design gives me rigor and discipline. Activism gives me purpose. Art gives me the space to feel and to question. When I design pleasure jewelry for CRAVE, the spark comes from emotion, from the desire for beauty and confidence in pleasure, yet the realization of that idea relies on engineering and manufacturing. With my personal art, the intentions are more intimate. The parameters and the audience change, and the dialogue becomes private rather than commercial. Moving between them is not always seamless, but it keeps my work honest, grounded, and deeply personal.

What progress do you think is needed to improve the industry/make it easier for women to start a business?

T: Access to capital, mentorship, and networks that have historically excluded women is essential. And representation matters. When more women are visible in leadership, in design, and in boardrooms, everything shifts. As a mentor of mine, Cindy Gallop, often says, “Don’t stand with me. Pay me.” It is a reminder that true support for women requires more than encouragement. It requires investment.

What advice would you give to other women looking to start their own business?

T: Start with what you wish existed in the world, not what you think other people will like. That emotional conviction is essential. Entrepreneurship comes with extreme highs and lows, and many days when you will want to quit, but if you are deeply connected to your mission, you will have the resilience to weather the journey.

 
One of the most surreal moments was when Madonna said she would wear our 24k gold Vesper for the rest of her life. That kind of recognition feels epic, but it only happens when something is created from a place of truth. If you start with what you genuinely wish to see in the world, the chances of it resonating with people, and with icons like Madonna, become much greater.

There have been incredible wins and equally intense challenges, but the perspective I have gained is that clarity of purpose, thoughtful execution, and resilience are what carry a small business forward.

Crave feels incredibly considered — what guides the decisions you make for your brand, creatively and commercially?

T: We think very carefully about the why and the how behind everything we create. Why does this piece of literature belong here? How will someone feel when they open this package or read this message? How do we talk about intimate or sensitive subjects in a way that is fair, factual, and respectful?

We consider every touchpoint of the brand, from social content to customer service, and we work hard to ensure that anyone who interacts with CRAVE feels respected and heard. We move with intention, sometimes more slowly than others, but I believe that is necessary.

What I am most proud of is our community. There is an IYKYK club that has grown organically because of pleasure jewelry. People use it to connect and find kindred spirits in so many spaces, from clubs and restaurants to queer and pleasure-positive environments. It has become a way of finding the cool kids who want you to sit with them.

At Bluebella, we seek to redefine sensuality for the modern woman. You are celebrated for bringing a new definition of luxury to intimacy products: tell us more about that.

T: Luxury to me is about beauty, and beauty is never lazy. Paola Antonelli once said, “The opposite of beauty is laziness,” and I think about that often. Beauty requires effort, thought, and care. We are relentless in our intentionality and our originality. It is the care we bring to every stage of design and the respect we put into shaping the entire experience around it.

Our products are original, and it is effortful to be original. We created the pleasure jewelry category because we had a clear point of view to share with the world. I believe our pieces elevate the conversation around pleasure in a way that is uniquely respectful and that invites curiosity and connection.