Rhoxanne Villaseñor Launches Fine Jewelry Line
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Rhoxanne Villaseñor is keeping her family’s “rh” theme alive.
Like her brother, Rhuigi of Rhude, Villaseñor has a background in design. She launched The Rhod, a jewelry brand named after her father, several years ago, around the same time that her brother launched his cult-favorite streetwear brand. The Rhod, Villaseñor said, was mainly costume jewelry made of brass with gold plating. She has since elevated to fine jewelry, working strictly with gold and diamonds for Rhox, her newest jewelry venture.
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“As I’m getting older, it was important for me to be true to myself,” said Villaseñor. “The way we marketed and branded Rhox, it’s more studio-artistic. I’m using fruits to reflect body parts and shapes because I want people to visualize themselves without comparing [themselves to] another person. The images are vibrant, bright, and it’s a reflection of me and my spirit. I want to bring joy to people — I do it for a living.”
Villaseñor works by day on the membership team of SoHo House Malibu. That location’s ocean view served as inspiration for the jewelry line, which debuts with three styles of hoop earrings and a variety of studs, priced from $100 to $300 and sold through Rhox’s web site.
The pieces are all made locally in Los Angeles, where Villaseñor grew up. She was born in Manila, the Philippines’ capital, and later spent a couple of years in Saudi Arabia, where her father relocated for work.
“In Saudi Arabia, all I saw was gold,” she said. “Walking to shops, [there were] rolls of real gold chains. You just tell them how long you want it. They can make it for you on the spot.”
In January, Villaseñor designed a jewelry collection for Rhude’s Men’s Fall 2020 Paris show. It was the first time she had created pieces for her brother’s brand, though the two often collaborate creatively.
“[Rhuigi] wanted to introduce women’s,” she explained. “My brother and I have a lot of conversation about the brand identity and what’s the goal. So when he told me he was doing women’s, we huddled up, and did a little design session.”
Her current team for Rhox consists of just three people, including her, though she hopes to grow it, highlighting talented women along the way.
“It’s important to give younger women a chance to work for a dope, cool brand,” said Villaseñor. “Not a lot of women are given the opportunity to showcase their talents. That’s my goal: Expand my team and have cool, badass chicks.”
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