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!

5 Essential Steps to Spring Clean Your Closet

It’s been a week of Spring time and I venture to bet that many of you are yet to start your Spring cleaning. (Myself included!) Last week we told you what pieces in your wardrobe can go from winter to spring with a simple change of accessories. While looking at what you’ve already got is a great place to start, often times you need to dig a bit deeper. Take the time this weekend to clean out your wardrobe and see what clothing-demons you have lurking back there. It’s time to Spring clean your closet!

1. Evaluate

Ask yourself:

-Does this fit me?

-Have I worn this in the past year?

If the answer is no to the two questions above then toss it!

2. Donate, Consign, Repair

When you decide to toss, you have a few options.

-Donate to Salvation Army

-Sell to a consignment store for a 50 percent profit

Any designer piece can be sold to a consignment store for a profit. The pricing system usually works like this: You paid $300. They price it at $15o. You get 5o percent: $75. Score! A donation to salvation army is a tax-deduction and an opportunity to lend a helping hand. Double score!

3. Re-Work

Many pieces you have can be re-fashioned into something new and fabulous. If you can’t do it yourself, send it to a seamstress. Denim shorts are back in a big way. Hack your favorite jeans into a bootie-hugging set of sexy shorts a la Jessica Simpson as Daisy Duke. A long skirt or dress can easily be chopped in half and made into a short, spring-friendly version. Get creative!

4. Go Minimal

The steps to a flawless wardrobe lies in the essential pieces. Remember the 20/80 rule. We wear 20 percent of our wardrobe 80 percent of the time. Invest (or keep) the quality pieces that you wear on a daily basis. Get rid of the rest simply because it feels good to have a clutter-free closet.

5. Go Vintage

From your mama to your grandmama, I guarantee there is an abundance of unused pieces that are lying within your reach. With some imagination, a few stiches, and accessories, these vintage treasures can live again. If after you’re done with your cleaning you feel more empty than cleansed, start here to find some $$-free designer finds.

The Kenley Dress

The hottest trends this spring are inspired from the days when smoking was cool and cocktails during work hours were expected–the 50s and 60s.  It’s all about fitted bodices and belle skirts. The Kenley dress from Mod Cloth is a perfect example of what’s hot this spring. We love it’s mix of retro and classic. Plus, it’s a throw-back to our favorite Project Runway vixen, Kenley Collins herself. Pair it with some killer heels and dainty accessories and you have a perfect spring look. Plus modcloth.com is one of our fave indie and vintage web sites.

For brunch with your girlfriends or cocktails with your boyfriends, the Kenley dress is the quintessential spring 2009 dress.

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