Home Grown

In 1985, Hequin really spread her wings. Going out on her own, Hequin and her husband decided to take over five jewelry cases at a friend’s clothing boutique, Le Player, in Kendall’s Town and Country Mall. “In just two years, we made enough money to buy my father’s store, “ she remembers. “We were making just as much from those few showcases as some of the major jewelry stores at the time. It was about being at the right place at the right time.” Beyond luck or fate, Hequin’s success should be much credited toward her innate understanding of fine jewels and aesthetics, developed know-how for business, and unique way with people.

A modern-day, doe-eyed Princess Diana, oozing elegance and quite often dripping in exquisite jewels, Hequin possesses a certain degree of refinement. This could be why she’s the last remaining family member in the business. In 1994, she finally decided to scoop the empire from her father’s clutches and took the family business to whole new levels. But after only five years of running the luxury boutique, she realized that her trajectory for their business was too large to operate within the confines of their current space. Plans for growth were set in motion.

Expanding the business didn’t mean a little construction to extend the walls. In 1999, Hequin began looking for a new location in downtown Miami. It was far from the obvious locale—the neighborhood was less than desirable and seemed questionable for a $1 million-plus build-out that promised to house fine jewelry. But Hequin had a hunch about the revitalizing downtown scene.

She personally designed every detail of the 10,000-plus-square-foot space. Unfortunately, just at the onset of the construction, a terrible traffic accident left her hospitalized. Doctors doubted Hequin would ever walk again and several tests were administered to determine any brain damage. Hequin recalls a series of questions that she swears were trick questions. “The nurse would ask me things like, ‘What’s the difference between work and play?’ and I would tell her over and over that there was no difference.” Perhaps it was her work ethic that saw her through; Hequin would visit the store’s construction site, wheelchair-bound, to delegate responsibilities because “no one could do it without me. I designed the entire thing.”

Her recovery allowed her to stand tall within the walls of her new kingdom. Complete with full bar and flat-screen televisions, the store turned out exactly as she envisioned it. But a store isn’t all she’s been able to build; Hequin builds relationships. “I love that we know our clients’ names. We share in milestones; we go to their weddings and their children’s Bat Mitzvahs; we know what they like and what they want.” What they want, she explains, “is the integrity and confidence found in shopping at Morays,” which is an authorized dealer of more than 30 Swiss watch brands, “and the luxury experience that isn’t so much offered at exchange prices.”

Success continues at Morays. Loyal customers flock to the Morays team for the kind of shopping experience where luxury meets family, and where the storeowner knows your taste very well. And there are no signs of slowing down. While Hequin remains the last of her family members in the business, she’s home growing her legacy—her daughter, now also 16, holds a business card entitled Future Owner. We’re confident that the apple won’t fall far from the tree.