Since its debut line in 2005, LEILA Jewelry has quickly become a brand recognized by many for designing the next must-have items of the season.  Based out of San Diego, CA, LEILA Jewelry has created an eclectic line of Southern California fun meets downtown New York chic.  LEILA Jewelry embodies the woman with many different fashion sensibilities by using color, hardware, and unique materials…. making that stylish look with everyday wearability.    LEILA Jewelry has been featured in Lucky, InStyle, Elle Girl, InTouch, Glamour, and OK! Magazine and has enhanced the wardrobes of Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, Jessica Simpson, Hilary Duff, Hayden Panettiere, Britney Spears, and Lauren Conrad just to name a few of the countless celebrity clients.  LEILA Jewelry is available in over 300 upscale stores in the United States, Canada, Europe, Asia and Australia.                                                                                       •                •                •                •             Charlene Vilella is the creative designer behind LEILA Jewelry.  Drawn to the beauty of fashion at a very young age, Charlene would watch with excitement as her mother would accessorize her outfits with what seemed at the time to be an endless collection of costume jewelry.  “I used to play with the jewelry for hours and hours....it was my sandbox”  She soon started to make “play jewelry” for family and friends. Little did she know this fascination would later turn into a successful career.  As Charlene grew older, she continued to make necklaces and bracelets for fun using basic materials like beads and semi-precious stones.  Upon entering college she focused her creative efforts in graphic design where she excelled at her usage of color and attention to detail.  “In graphic design you have an endless canvas which you can perfect over and over again.”  After graduating, Charlene started her working career designing presentations and marketing material for a technology company but soon realized her creative desire was much bigger than the boardroom. “One day while shopping with my mother, we passed by the jewelry section of a department store.  Suddenly it occurred to me….. I could make jewelry using my graphic design ideas and try to sell them.”  After designing some pieces Charlene decided to first try selling her jewelry at local farmers markets in San Diego.  Her designs were a hit!  Customers wanted to see more and asked when she’d be back.  This was all she needed to hear.  The next month she stopped working at her corporate job and opened the doors to LEILA Jewelry..