A NOTE FROM OUR FOUNDER

I once heard artist Autumn Breon describe jewelry as armor, and I never looked at jewelry the same again. Every time I arm myself with a ring, a necklace, a set of earrings, a bracelet, I stand taller.

In a world that constantly demands that we explain ourselves, ME DIO LA GANA is for people who don’t need to. They let the jewelry do the talking.

Arm yourself, stand tall, and when someone asks for your why, it’s simply because ME DIO LA GANA.

Born and raised in El Paso, TX, founder Ashley Soto Paniagua draws from her bordertown upbringing to create jewelry pieces that speak to the spirit of the immigrant and migrant ethos. Each handcrafted piece is designed to serve as armor, protecting the wearer's spirit as they forge new paths on their journey.

Using her background as a TV writer, Ashley tells a story with each collection. The Signature Collection serves as the foundation of the brand as we consider our own legacy and honor those who came before us, whose brave choices embolden our own. A compass, a reminder and a mantra: Que llegues a los noventa y digas, "Yo hice lo que me dio la gana." (May you reach ninety and say, "I did what I wanted to do.")

The elderly model is Ashley's grandma Maria, who came to El Paso from Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico.

Shot in El Paso, TX by majority BIPOC women. 

ABOUT ME DIO LA GANA

OUR COMMITMENTS

ME DIO LA GANA is committed to creating social impact and reducing environmental waste where possible.

SOCIAL IMPACT: 10% of profits benefit a social impact initiative, and each collection is associated with a specific recipient. See each specific collection or product for details.

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT: Our packaging is made with sustainability in mind. Our jewelry is packaged in a recyclable, reusable tin with nostalgic nods to the universal royal blue holiday cookie tin, and our shipping boxes are ordered to offset the carbon footprint through the Global Forestry Project, a certified carbon offsetting program. To reduce waste, we kindly package multiple orders from a purchase in a single jewelry tin.