Ten Minutes with Johanna Ely of Good Girls Studio

We’ve all envied that It girl with a particular knack for creating stunning sartorial mash-ups out of vintage necklaces, brooches, and other finds scavenged from grandma’s jewelry box. Whenever we try, however, we just end up with a tangled mess of nothing much to look at. Thank goodness for Good Girls Studio jewelry designer Johanna Ely who’s so got the know-how for crafting va-va-va voom out of bits and pieces of vintage finery. Like the Lovestruck cuff—a ruffled bit of bling featuring recycled rhinestone earrings.  Or how about the haute and handy Backstabber necklace, which juxtaposes a beautifully patinated pocketknife with a sweet sparkly heart. In other words, thanks to Johanna you can rock your Coro and Trifari at the same time and look damn glam doing it. Read on to learn more about this magic maker.

Oligoville: In five words or less, Good Girls Studio is…

Johanna: Revamped vintage jewelry with a romantic twist!

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Johanna: Flirty & fashionable …she’s not afraid to make a statement!

Oligoville: How’d you end up a designer?

Johanna: The retail company I managed  liquidated, and I’d always been interested in designing jewelry. I took my severance package and launched my line. I built a shop on Etsy & started designing my heart out!

Oligoville: Why work with vintage jewelry?

Johanna: As a child I loved digging through my mom and grandmother’s jewelry. Every vintage piece has a past and tells a story written by its previous owner. As a bonus, it’s eco-friendly!

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Johanna: My mother. She started her career as a writer later in life after she raised all us kiddos! I’m also inspired by the Victorian era: women dressed up just to sit around the house! Wouldn’t grocery shopping be so much more fun if you were dolled up and wearing a corset?

Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in your life?

Johanna: Madness! Wake up, drink some coffee, and get the boy off to school, check the websites, write a blog, drink more coffee, work on new designs, lunch, errands,pick the boy up from school, homework with him, b-ball practice with him a few nights a week, dinner, work on designs some more, and crash. Every day is little different. Some days I’m mostly taking pictures and editing them to update the websites.

Oligoville: What’s in your closet?

Johanna: Umm, which closet!?! Mostly clothes from the years of dressing up and working in retail. Tons of print skirts and jersey dresses. Lots of handmade Tees from Etsy shops! One wardrobe houses my slowly growing collection of Anthropologie sweaters (I’m obsessed!) and jeans. Right now I have on a purple Anthro sweater from last winter and an ancient pair of Old Navy jeans. I’m also wearing a collage pendant necklace that I threw on for a lunch date with a friend.

Oligoville: What’s in your bag?

Johanna: Receipts galore, peppermint teabags(no idea why they are in there), five different lip glosses (I heart Bigelow mint lip gloss!), Hot Wheels cars (from the boy), business cards, a design sketch for a new necklace, and my wallet.

Oligoville: Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned.

Johanna: Don’t count your chickens before they are hatched! I’ve done local markets and done well and then next time around doubled up on stock for those shows and ended up sitting on a ton of jewelry. Trying to find the right balance of stock for the websites and shows has been a work in progress.

Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Johanna: Being able to work from home and be around for my son is the best reward ever!

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.

Johanna: I’d like my designs to be in stores nationwide and to have made their way into fashion magazines.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Johanna: Follow your heart and design what you love, not just what you think might sell or what is trendy. Your passion shows in your work!

Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?

Johanna: Girl rock: Pandora thinks I’m obsessed with Regina Spektor & Tori Amos!

Ten Minutes with Sierra Bailey of Manic Trout

 I’m not one to gossip, girl, but something fishy’s been happening on Gossip Girl, if by fishy you mean Jessica  Szohr’s been rocking some Manic Trout jewelry as her alter ego Vanessa Abrams. Handcrafted by Sierra Bailey, this collection of earrings, rings, necklaces, and bracelets has that vintage downtowny vibe that even uptown girls can’t get enough of. Try a different pair of Sweetest Things earrings every day of the week, or get all Grey Gardens-y with one of the Venus in Furs necklaces stitched from Sierra’s stash of designer scarves. I guarantee you this is one secret you’ll definitely want to share! Read on to learn more about this dish-worthy designer.

Oligoville: In five words or less, Manic Trout is. . .

Sierra: Fresh, fashionable, funky, fun and fabulous! (I really dig alliteration!)

Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Sierra: Girls who use jewelry to add punch to their outfits and regular shoppers who come back often!

Oligoville: How’d you end up a designer?

Sierra: I have wanted to be a designer of some sort since I was a very little girl.  I went to architecture school before art school and obtaining my BFA.  I took every type of design course I possibly could except, ironically, in jewelry. As a hobby I designed and made my own jewelry, which I started doing in middle school. In college I sold some stuff to friends, mainly for fun.  I actually never thought I would end up as a professional jewelry designer; it was always more of a passion on the side. Then one day I realized that it was that passion which made my jewelry so sought after, so I made the decision to focus on it.

 

Oligoville: How/when did you launch your brand?

Sierra: I began Manic Trout in 2003 as an umbrella company for a wide range of design [activities]: web site design, photo restoration, paintings, and jewelry were the main aspects.  As I learned more about business I realized I should focus on one area, and, as jewelry was what I was the most passionate about, I decided in January of 2006 to ditch all of the other stuff, build an online store, and jump right in. Within a year I was contacted by the local newspaper to do a video and print interview about local designers who used the internet to sell their wares, and I realized then that I had made the right decision.

Oligoville: Where’d you get the idea for the scarf necklaces, and how do you make them?

Sierra: I love vintage clothes and accessories and have been an avid collector my entire life.  My father’s side of the family all live in New Hampshire, in the heart of antique alley and are passionate about collecting. A few years ago my dad stumbled upon a stash of awesome vintage designer silk scarves that he thought I would love to use for something. I really enjoy repurposing vintage materials and, as I had great success turning chandelier crystals and buttons into rings, I was intrigued to see what I could come up with. Many of the small scarves had small tears from age, but I kept them, knowing that I could do something to salvage them. Every so often I would get them out and play around with them and then one day last August I decided to take the plunge, cut one apart, and experiment.  Within minutes I had it smushed up and sewed it up on the sewing machine, and the concept was born. I stitched a few together, added a ribbon, and I was in love!

Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Sierra: I am a horrible photographer. Lots of photoshopping has to be done with any photo I take, so naturally I am obsessed with other people’s photographs. I have inspiration boards covered with photos and magazine pages all over my studio. Color is a huge inspiration and art and design, such as fashion, architecture, and paintings, play a bug role in my sketchbooks. Nature is up there on the list too. I live in the Hudson Valley region of New York and spend a ton of time outside snapping bad photos and enjoying the natural beauty of the area. Being influenced by nature has to be pretty obvious as I named my business after a fish!

Oligoville: What’s 24 hours like in your life?

Sierra: I typically wake up around 10, walk and feed my dog, and make coffee and breakfast, which I eat at my desk while I check e-mail and all of my online accounts such as forums I contribute to, Etsy, and Smashing Darling.

My assistant arrives at 11, and I work at my desk on computer work such as correspondence, photo editing, and paperwork for the afternoon.  My intern arrives around 3:30 and if there is a project that is better for us all to work on at once we do that, such as photographing jewelry. If not, we all work on individual tasks such as labels or orders.

After the staff leaves at 6 I usually take a break to work out, take my dog for a long walk, and eat dinner. Evenings I design and make jewelry or, if I am about to release a new line or doing a web update, I’ll work on that until about two a.m.I then get into bed and read for about an hour to unwind from the day, and then its finally off to sleep!

Oligoville: What’s in your closet? What are you wearing right now?

Sierra: I tend to wear a “uniform,” which in the summer is a full and flowery skirt with a white tank top and in the winter is skinny jeans with a t-shirt and cute little blazer. I only wear Manic Trout jewelry and switch it up with whatever is new—recently loads of Critters, Bling Rings, and Sweetest Thing Earrings.  Right now I am wearing dark wash skinny jeans, a black v-neck t-shirt with a shrunken brown tweed blazer, tweed pointy toe flats, the Hard to Concentrate Necklace, Arabella Bling Ring in Gold. and Adria Sweetest Thing Earrings.

Oligoville: What’s in your bag (or backpack or satchel) right now?

Sierra: I am carrying a fantastic hobo bag right now from Kooba in iced lilac with gold accents. I usually have my wallet (a continental black Ferragamo that I love so much that I blogged about it!), two pairs of Sunglasses—gold Ray Ban Aviators and really big round brown Pradas—Burts Beezwax, Clinique Juicy Apple lip gloss, my Blackberry, a moleskin notebook, bags to clean up after my dog, and a very small digital camera.

Oligoville: Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned.

Sierra: I have never taken out a loan or had debt for Manic Trout; it is completely self financed. This has been very difficult at times when sales are low and the need to buy materials is high, specifically in August when the internet is abandoned for the beach and I have to buy materials for the holiday line.

It’s also incredibly difficult and scary to have to make the big decisions on your own. When I first hired my publicist I was basically called an idiot by everyone in my life, but it was not a decision I made lightly. I had weighed the pros and cons and went with my gut, knowing that press was not about the immediate sales, but about the future of my brand and worth the investment.  There were many months when I paid my publicist more then I made in sales, but I feel it is worth every penny!

Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Sierra: A month or so ago there was an article written about the town I live in that focused on shopping and dining. The author had visited the town to research and gave a highlight of a handful of the great little shops in the village. She must have visited the website for the town, which has a link to my site because she wrote an entire paragraph about Manic Trout and how essential it was to visit online even though I do not have a physical shop. I was so honored to be known as an important part of the community; it made my whole month!

I also LOVED to see my jewelry on Gossip Girl. I kept saying “I designed and made the jewelry on that girl; that is so unbelievably surreal!!!”

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.
Sierra: I am looking to expand my wholesale accounts to a larger spectrum such as catalogue and department stores in the next two years.  In five years I am looking to have a staff that makes all of the jewelry, leaving me to focus on design and the business aspects.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Sierra: Don’t try to do it all: focus on the skills you have and hire people for the areas you are weak in or in which the work can be done less expensively by others.

Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?

Sierra: I love to make playlists. I was big into mixed tapes back in the day so I get really into them. My current playlist is made up of: “Oh! Sweet Nuthin’” – The Velvet Underground; “Wake Up” – Arcade Fire; “No You Girls” – Franz Ferdinand; “A-Punk” – Vampire Weekend; “Always Where I Need To Be” – The Kooks; “Move You” – Anya Marina; “My Boy Builds a Coffin” – Florence and The Machine; “Joy Ride” – The Killers; “Goin’ Against Your Mind” – Built To Spill; “Knockin’ On Heavens Door” – Bob Dylan; “Rocket Man” – My Morning Jacket; “Take On Me” – Sara Bareilles; “Strange Overtones” – David Byrne & Brian Eno; and “Metal Heart” – Cat Power.

Oligoville: Any last words?

Sierra: Follow your heart to do what you are passionate about. You can accomplish anything with hard work, focus, and determination.

Ten Minutes with Tamara and Shea of Old Soul, New Heart

Like mother, like daughter can be a very good thing when the mother-daughter team in question are Tamara Miller and Shea McGee.  The designing duo behind Old Soul, New Heart sources vintage finds from which to handcraft headbands, belts, necklaces, and bracelets that are equal parts sweet, shiny, and sophisticated. I dare you don the Triple Threat headband or the Party Perfect necklace and not be the life of the party! Read on to learn more about how Tamara and Shea get their glam on.

Oligoville: In five words or less Old Soul, New Heart is . . .

Tamara: Modern glamour, nod to yesteryear

Shea: Glamorous accessories with vintage undertones
 
Oligoville: How would you describe your ideal customer?

Tamara: A woman who revels in her femininity and just plain loves to feel pretty!

Shea: Ladies who like changing up their look with accessories and appreciate vintage pieces with feminine flair.

Oligoville: How’d you end up as designers?

Tamara: My Grammy (grandmother) was a fashion maven who loved wearing stacks of jewels, fur, and ladylike outfits. Growing up during the summers she taught me how to sew. I went on to study Fashion Merchandise in college and worked for years in visual merchandising. Fashion and design have always been one of my foremost interests, and, with my daughter, I finally took the plunge to launch our own line.

Shea: I grew up with a mother who valued fashion and design. I started off wearing my mother’s heels and jewelry around the house, and, as I grew older, fashion became something we enjoyed together. Independently in our spare time we had been creating accessories for ourselves. On vacation last year we realized that our pieces had a very similar style and that we were really on to something. With my distinct eye and my mother’s creative expertise, there was no stopping us. We launched six months later.

Oligoville: How/when did you launch your brand?

Tamara and Shea: We launched in August 2009. Several major women’s interest sites announced the launch, and the word spread like wildfire through the blogosphere. We really owe a large part of our success to style and fashion bloggers as they continue to support our line.

 
Oligoville: Tamara, what’s it like working with your daughter?

Tamara: It’s like my birthday everyday! But sometimes on my birthday I’ll cry if I want to. It really has been so much fun. We have extremely similar visions for the company and clear strong suits that balance well.

Oligoville: Shea, what’s it like working with your mother?

Shea: I couldn’t pick a better business partner, or mother for that matter. We each have different talents, but similar tastes. They work very well together. However, sometimes the “Type A” in me comes out too sharply, and I become overly critical. She then quickly puts things into perspectives and I calm down. Some may say working with family is a mistake, but it works well for us.
 
Oligoville: Who and/or what inspires you?

Tamara: Looking at old pictures of my stylish Grammy and the ladylike clothes from decades past –– demure blouses, chiffon ruffles, and layers of vintage jewelry.

Shea: I find inspiration through a variety of different ways. The color palettes in interiors often spark my best ideas as well as women who pile on jewelry in a surprisingly classy and glamorous way. Lastly, combing thrift stores is extremely inspiring because the racks are filled with things that aren’t on the cover of every magazine.

Oligoville:  What’s 24 hours like in your life?

Tamara: I wake up and check our e-mails immediately and then drop all of our orders off at the post office. I spend most of the day producing orders and then working on new designs. I always take time to peruse old fashion books for inspiration and blogs to stay current. Running a small business presents new opportunities and challenges every day, so Shea and I talk about five times throughout the day. We spend most of that time discussing our marketing strategy or the next steps for the company. I love to cook so I make sure to squeeze that and a little TV time in with my husband. Right before bed I make sure all of my orders are finished and ready to go out the next morning and check my e-mail one last time.

Shea: The first thing I do before I even roll out of bed is check our e-mails. I then ship everything out and spend the rest of the day working on new orders. With my background in advertising, I spend a portion of my day researching and implementing new strategies as well as new ways to reach customers. The majority of my spare time is spent working on new designs, which is definitely my favorite part of the business. I check our e-mail about 15 times a day and am a compulsive iPhone user. I spend more time working on our business than any other job I’ve had and I have never been happier.
 
Oligoville: What’s in your closet? What are you wearing right now?

Tamara: Right now I’m wearing Gap boyfriend jeans, a J.Crew ruffled cardigan, and Tahari leopard flats. Variations of this outfit are primarily all I wear these days because I feel both comfortable and fashionable, a combination that can’t be beat. My closet is filled with ruffled blouses, jeans, and dressy flats. Most importantly, I can’t forget my accessories: I have more belts, bags and jewelry than clothing. In my opinion, they’re the best way to transform and outfit.

Shea: Right now I’m wearing a J.Crew silk blouse, Forever 21 cardigan, J Brand skinny jeans, flat vintage boots, and several chain necklaces. I love juxtaposing clothing items: hard with soft, high end with low. My closet is filled with ruffled silk tops, leather boots, vintage floral dresses, boyfriend cardigans, and lots of things with sparkles, bows, and animal prints. I wear flats everyday of the week except on Sundays when I wear heels—and on weekend evenings, if my husband is lucky.

Oligoville: What’s in your bag (or backpack or satchel) right now?

Tamara: In my very large bag I have two different wallets, a pair of sunglasses, keys, almonds in case I need a snack, water bottle, receipts, notebook, and earrings in the side pocket.

Shea: Oh this is embarrassing: a wallet, three pairs of sunglasses, mints, gum, keys, pepper spray, peanut M&Ms, water bottle, notebook—and dozens of receipts, candy wrappers, and bobby pins at the bottom.

Oligoville:  Tell us about some unexpected setbacks you have faced since starting your business and what you learned.
 
Shea: Shipping and dealing with the post office has been the biggest challenge. We’ve just learned that when you have a small business it is necessary to keep records of everything because often you are relying on others to get things done that are crucial to your business. We are new to being small business owners, so I know there will be more challenges to come, but thus far we have had a very positive experience.

Oligoville: What has been the most rewarding part of your career?

Tamara and Shea: Seeing our designs come to life and receiving an overwhelmingly positive response is extremely rewarding, but working all day at something we enjoy is the best part.
 

Oligoville: Tell us where you expect to see your business in the next five years.

Tamara and Shea: We currently handmake everything and only sell through our site. Although we thoroughly enjoy how hands-on we are, we can foresee possibly venturing into the brick-and-mortar arena. We also plan to expand into other areas such as the bridal industry in the coming year. Our goal is to expand while keeping the vintage appeal and feminine charm of all our products.

Oligoville: Any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Tamara: Love what you’re doing and have confidence in your product.

Shea: Just go for it! I think too often people have great ideas and are bursting with creativity, but never take the leap.

Oligoville: What’s on your playlist right now?

Tamara: I love what I like to call “coffee shop queens” and anything “bluesy”—Rocca Deluca, Sia, Duffy, Cat Power, and Ray Lamontagne.

Shea: My tastes vary widely. One day I’ll listen to Cat Power, then the next I’ll be listening to Led Zeppelin, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, Britney Spears, David Bowie, Johnny Cash, Bon Ivers or Neko Case.