Lisa Sahakian of Ian Charms Interview

If Lisa Sahakian had played it safe, Ian Charms wouldn’t exist. Instead, she took a leap of faith, turning what started as a side hustle into a full-fledged accessories brand worn by the likes of Dua Lipa, Justin Bieber, Jennie, and Charli XCX. The LA-based jewelry maker is fueled by pop culture, and is chaotic, in the best way. 

Like many in the creative industry, Sahakian, who worked as an assistant in reality TV development, faced reduced income due to the industry’s slowdown during the pandemic. “COVID hit, and they cut all the assistants,” she recalls. “I had no money and a lot of free time.” Simultaneously, a personal quest to find an affordable yet stylish chain for her boyfriend led to a realization—the jewelry market lacked unique, reasonably-priced options. This inspired her to create her own pieces, marking the inception of Ian Charms. The name ‘Ian’ comes from the common suffix of Armenian last names, paying tribute to Sahakian’s roots. 

With no prior experience in jewelry-making, Sahakian turned to YouTube tutorials to learn the basics. She began crafting necklaces and bracelets, initially selling them to friends and donating part of the proceeds to support local protests in Los Angeles. The demand for her vibrant designs quickly extended beyond her immediate circle. “I ran out of supplies in days. People wanted more.”

Ian Charms’ first celebrity encounter was with Post Malone. The artist’s stylist reached out for a last-minute request for the 2020 Billboard Award that was happening the next day. Sahakian scrambled to get the request fulfilled, turning around a handful of beaded necklaces in a day, with the hopes of seeing her creations on TV. Post Malone did not end up wearing the pieces for his performance, but this became the moment that Sahakian realized she needed to reach out to other celebrity stylists to get her designs on the map. 

Her big break came in November 2020 when Dua Lipa’s stylist, Lorenzo Posocco, responded to Sahakian’s message on Instagram. Lipa started wearing Ian Charms constantly, even posting a custom charm featuring her dog’s face. From there, things exploded. Within weeks, Sahakian filed for an LLC and was getting Vogue write-ups. She often found herself working through 3 in the morning trying to keep up with custom orders while still handling her day job in reality TV. By January 2021, she made the call to pursue Ian Charms fully, and has since expanded her product lineup to also include bags, hats, and hair clips.

Last summer, at the height of the “Brat” craze, Sahakian was commissioned to create custom pieces for Charli XCX’s “Guess” music video. Though the production ultimately decided against incorporating her pieces into Charli’s final look, her efforts didn’t go unnoticed. Later, Charli’s team reached out again, asking Sahakian if she could translate that energy into tour merch instead.

Incorporating her on-the-nose humor into apparel for the first time, Sahakian created the “Gay Son, Thought Daughter” tee, worn by Charli herself as well as Troye Sivan. “Daughter was spelled wrong and we realized it after the shirts had already been made,” she says. “But at second glance, we thought, ‘This is so brat. We have to keep it.’”

When asked about her dream projects, Sahakian is quick to answer: “I’ve always wanted to do a superfan drop one day.” She envisions a collection that wholly embraces the absurdity of celebrity culture, including a bracelet featuring a lock of Justin Bieber’s hair, nodding to the kind of fan devotion that once led people to bid thousands for used tissues on eBay. While it might sound extreme, for Sahakian, it’s the perfect representation of how deeply pop culture resonates with people. 

Ian Charms’ success comes from a legacy of girl culture that shaped Sahakian’s childhood. The late ’90s to early 2010s marked the golden era of chick flicks, with movies like 13 Going on 30, The Devil Wears Prada, and TV shows like Gossip Girl defining the aesthetic and aspirations of her generation. Through Ian Charms, she aims to keep that spirit alive, infusing her designs with the same playful and unapologetically feminine energy that once dominated her youth and culture at large.

Despite the whirlwind of running a fast-growing brand on her own, Sahakian knows she’s exactly where she’s meant to be. “At the end of the day, I made this brand because I love creating things,” she says. “It’s chaotic, but it works.” The brand’s ability to translate the absurdity of internet culture into wearable jewelry that people can connect with is what makes it most exciting. For Sahakian, the whole point is to lean into the madness and make great fun out of it.

See Ian Charms’ full Complex Shop assortment here, and our Women’s History Month edit here.