Daniela Groza and Dec McLaughlin: Launching Auzi – a luxury jewellery brand aiming to transform hearing aids into stylish empowering accessories (BSL)

Hi everyone! We are Daniela Groza and Dec McLaughlin, the co-founders of Auzi, a London-based brand that creates luxury jewellery covers for hearing aids and cochlear implants.

Dec was born half-deaf in both ears and has worn a hearing aid since he was three. Daniela is a jewellery designer with over 10 years of experience, renowned for creating purpose-driven collections.

For those wondering why we started Auzi, it helps to know a bit about our back story. For years, Dec wore just one hearing aid, even though he needed two. He hid it due to the stigma and insecurities he felt growing up.

Last year, Daniela made him a jewellery cover for his hearing aid as a birthday gift which he absolutely loved. That was when we knew we had something special, and very soon after, Auzi was born.

Auzi’s style is luxury and unapologetically visible. Our designs are bold, using sleek metals and gemstones to make a statement. We also offer bespoke pieces, where customers can collaborate with us to create designs that tell their unique stories and match their personal style.

It is commonly understand that unfortunately hearing aids often carry a stigma—many people associate them with old age, and they’re often seen as clunky and unattractive.

We want to challenge these stereotypes by creating designs that are bold, stylish, and empowering. We want people to feel confident, not self-conscious.

Growing up wearing hearing aids, Dec often felt different. Those feelings of insecurity sadly lasted into adulthood. Yet now, with Auzi, he’s found a way to embrace his hearing loss. He wants to help others do the same, turning what was once a source of insecurity into something empowering.

To inspire others further, we would love to see someone like Tasha Ghouri wear our designs. Her openness about wearing a cochlear implant has inspired so many, and we believe she would embody what Auzi stands for: confidence and individuality.

The costs of our products range from a minimum of £250 depending on the design and gemstone choice, as we work with precious metals, the most affordable being solid silver. For bespoke designs the minimum is £350 and together we can discuss what our clients have in mind and create something unique for them!

The response to Audi so far online has been incredible, not just in the UK but globally. We’ve had enquiries from as far away as Jordan and interest from the US, Australia, Dubai, and more.

People have told us there’s nothing else out there like Auzi, and they’re excited to finally have an option that ticks the box for them—something that combines functionality, style, and self-expression.

Readers at the Limping Chicken may also be interested to know that we are running a competition (open until 9th Nov, 5pm GMT) to win a free Auzi jewellery cover for your BTE hearing aid worth £600! All details are on the pinned post on our Instagram page.

You can find out more about Auzi and their designs at auzi.me and follow us on Instagram and TikTok at @auzi.me.