Kyle Chan is Shining Bright Like a Diamond

Kyle Chan is a dichotomy in the entertainment and fashion industry. Though humble and understated in nature, he has become a veritable force in the industry, earning him a spotlight from many different directions. On television, he’s been seen in Bling Empire and Vanderpump Rules, having a major presence on the latter this last season. And on A-list celebrities, his jewelry has been seen on Taylor Swift, Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Miley Cyrus, Mariah Carey, Megan Thee Stallion, Paris Hilton, Shawn Mendes, Lil Nas X, and the list goes on and on. He also created designs for the award-winning film La La Land. All from learning how to make jewelry in high school.

Kyle, born and raised in Hong Kong, moved with his father to the United States when he was 13 years old so that his father could marry his future stepmother. Arriving in Los Angeles wasn’t exactly how Kyle envisioned it.

It was quite a culture shock to me because when my parents told me that we were moving to the US, to Los Angeles, in my mind I thought it was such a futuristic city from the movies that I watched. I asked my dad, “Um, where are we at?” And he said, “We are in Los Angeles!” I thought we were actually in the countryside, coming from the big city of Hong Kong, but we weren’t! It was quite a culture shock to me.

Kyle was always attracted to anything fashion related. When he was required to take an art class in high school, jewelry making was the closest to it. He signed up and his jewelry design history began.

I’ve always liked sparkly things, so I thought I’d give it a shot. I was inspired by the magazines that I read, the movies, and TV shows. I always have had a love for fashion from clothing to jewelry to anything beautiful and sparkly.

Already setting himself apart from the rest of the crowd, he was an easy target to be picked on. What other high school boys were making jewelry?

They bullied me in every way that they could, for being Asian, dressing funny, and having an accent. So, to me, it wasn’t a big deal. I thought you were just supposed to get picked on.

It was during this time that he started to come to terms with his sexuality.

During high school, I felt like I was a little different. I liked girls and I think they’re beautiful and fun and I liked boys, but I just couldn’t figure out if it was love or sexual attraction. I don’t really have an exciting coming out story because I grew up in Hong Kong and it’s kind of open-minded and a little bit Westernized. Also, I was rebellious, so it was just normal to my parents that I was different.

In a bittersweet turn, his jewelry was going to start to take off from a not-so-glamorous beginning. Kyle’s boyfriend was put into the hospital to fight his battle with cancer. Being his companion in the hospital room, Kyle’s hands were idle.

He was on chemotherapy, and I didn’t know how to help. So, I told him to just try and sleep through it. When he was sleeping, I just started to make jewelry, I guess to kind of keep my mind busy. I didn’t really put two and two together to think that was going to help me to kill some time. I just knew that I had a project to execute, and this is what I’m going to do while I’m there. It just really kept my mind off of thinking about everything.

Kyle was making wish bracelets in that hospital room. He made 350 bracelets and spent nine months in the hospital sending them to all of the models and celebrities he could think of. He was only getting a handful of responses from less than famous individuals. Feeling like his hard work wasn’t paying off, he decided to pivot on how he was marketing his bracelets. In true Kyle form, he thought outside of the box and his career was about to have a major shift.

I went on Yelp and looked for all of the top-rated gift shops and jewelry stores that had a similar aesthetic as my jewelry design. I would go to every single shop and shop until the owner noticed me and started having small conversations with them. Then I asked some if they wanted to look at my jewelry. And one store after another, I got like three or four of them at the beginning, ordered and I earned enough money to do a wholesale jewelry show. I started to get into all different boutique stores, including one that Miley Cyrus shopped at. And then Miley started to shop with me. She’s actually one of the kindest, nicest celebrities that I know.

Kyle got the golden approval from Miley and also clients like Real Housewives of Beverly Hills personality Kyle Richards. His foundation was being set. What does Kyle think it was about his early jewelry that set him apart?

At that time my jewelry resources were very limited. It was mostly sterling silver with maybe an accent with a little bit of diamonds and gemstones. But it was mostly handmade, so I think it caught Miley’s eye. And then for Kyle Richards, she likes colorful, bigger statement pieces, which is perfect for the show and the aesthetic that she was going for at that time.

Another celebrity-grabbing skill set that Kyle has an eye for detail and thinking outside of the box. Case in point, for Beyonce he created a diamond honeycomb-shaped pendant with IV on the inside. For the dot on the “I,” he used a rare blue diamond, representing Blue Ivy. He also designed her a honeycomb-shaped body chain, with blue and white diamonds, with the honeycomb representing her “Queen Bee” status and the blue again representing Ivy. Working for Beyonce is just one of the many pivotal moments that Chan recollects from his 14 years in the industry.

I am very proud of La La Land. It is one of the biggest deals ever and actually one of the best experiences. Also, I love Ryan Gosling, but unfortunately, he didn’t need any jewelry! Beyonce is also one of the most exciting celebrities because she was my boyfriend’s lifetime idol. He would travel around the world and go see her and his mind is always Beyonce, Beyonce, Beyonce! He actually was the person who helped me create the jewelry line that she loved. I was able to work with even more celebrities after that. Mariah Carey was my lifetime idol, and I managed to be able to do her jewelry. The craziest thing is when I did her jewelry, I didn’t know she was wearing it at her concert. I happened to sit in the front, and I’m like, wait a minute! I think that’s my earring. So that was a very good experience.

Current standouts are supplying Taylor Swift’s earrings for the “Karma” video, and for Doechii x Sprite for her “Rocket” video as a shout-out to the Olympics. For all of the celebrities that he’s worked with and become friends with, for all of the media attention he has received, and for the amount of success his business has had, he remains lowkey, without Hollywood airs. Everyone says the same thing, Kyle is one of the nicest and best in the biz. How does he remain so grounded?

I grew up in a very humble family, very poor. I’ve struggled through a lot in life and what keeps me grounded is I realized that friends and people that you meet can actually be the ones who can really, really help you. I happened to meet a group of friends who are just as genuine. Also, I know there are a lot of A-list celebrities who do well and are all normal people. They’re genuine, they’re candid, no matter where they go, who they meet, they’re just that kind of person. I’m very curious and I’m very observant. So, I realized that if I want to be as successful as they are, all I need to do is to be myself. I tested that theory over and over again and I focus on meeting good people, it has been working! So, I just continue with this formula, which is very easy for me.

He feels that he hasn’t changed much since those early days of making bracelets. Even though he is surrounded by glam and fame, his actual lifestyle might surprise you.

I feel like I’m still that person even though I’m close to 50 years old. I feel like I’m still that little kid at heart. A lot of people don’t know the other side of me. They think I am social media-driven or celebrity-driven, but I’m actually the guy that will stay at home and watch YouTube videos and watch random documentaries. I like fun facts on things like the Animal Channel, all those little things haven’t changed much. And I go to reptile shows, to look at animals and spiders and different things.

It’s funny that people think that I keep my personal life hidden, I am an open book, but nobody really asks. They are more interested in asking about Vanderpump Rules or asking about the celebrity side of it. But people who know me, who are close to me, actually know that I’m pretty easygoing.

A fun personal enjoyment for Chan has become a glamorous different project as he launched a collaboration with Gold Bar Whiskey. Kyle Chan x Gold Bar is a limited-edition blend of 18-year-old whiskies in stylish packaging. How did this come about? Well, Kyle’s love of whiskey and his keen sense of marketing helped. At his luxury jewelry store, he would stack his whiskey bottles in the VIP area in a pyramid fashion. When he was featured in Bling Empire, Gold Bar saw the footage and told him he needed a bigger wall. He told them, then come build it. They did. In thanks, Kyle threw one of his (in)famous parties.

I invited all my friends, influencers, and celebrities to come by and I had all of them guess how many Gold Bar whiskeys it took to build the entire wall. Everyone started to post and tag and it blew up their social media. The boss said – I need to meet this person. So, Elliot from Gold Bar Whiskey, the owner and founder, flew in the next week. And we had a talk. I made him a whiskey that he would never forget then he asked me if I would collaborate with him. And all I said was, yeah.

Kyle was featured heavily in this last season of Vanderpump Rules, at the center of the show’s scandal between two leading cast members (if you don’t know the scandal, you aren’t a gay). Miraculously, he avoided the high drama and remained his sincere, lowkey self.

What’s interesting is I don’t really watch reality TV but now I do by default because my friends are in it. I met the cast of Vanderpump Rules and we became really, really close and almost like family. It was enjoyable in the first few seasons until the scandal, then it was hard. But I feel like I am there just to support.

Even surrounded by the most luxurious jewels, his take on jewelry as a personal item is refreshing and on par with his personality. I asked him what someone should get if they were purchasing their first big item.

I think if someone wanted to buy something expensive, it should always be gold or a diamond. But I always tell people, don’t just go for it because of the price. Go for it because of the story. You want to figure out why you’re buying a piece of jewelry. Is it because of sentimental value? The most important, the most exciting thing about jewelry is that every piece of jewelry always has a story behind it. I think the story behind the jewelry is always the most important.

With all that he has accomplished, what does he want for his future?

 I guess going through cancer with my partner changed my point of view. I love doing jewelry. This is what I love. It’s my passion. Like it’s a full-throttle situation all the time. But then I also want to balance my life and enjoy it. So, at this point that I’m hitting 50 in March, I just want to go with the flow. But whatever project comes by, I always say yes.

And his message to his fans?

It’s very, very important to follow your dreams. You do not give up; you do not listen to what people tell you. If you follow your dreams and you do what you love, it won’t fail you.

Follow Kyle on IG: @KyleChanDesign