Today we’d like to introduce you to Elsie Derebery and Ariel Harms.
Elsie and Ariel, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
Klae Design Co. was born one evening in Elsie’s tiny one-bedroom apartment, the two of us having a craft night before going to see My Fair Lady at a local community theatre (The Theatre Company of BCS). One of us, Elsie, had seen a friend with a pair of clay earrings and wanted to try her hand at making them, and Ariel jumped in too.
Once we started making them, we couldn’t stop. That first night alone, we made over 30 pairs of earrings and were almost late to the show. You should have seen us racing from the kitchen to the bathroom mirror, holding our new creations to our ears, jumping up and down (quite literally) with excitement.
Over the next few weeks, we continued making earrings, our minds racing with ideas. We had dreams about earrings. We would run into the house after running an errand or going to class, grab a scrap piece of paper, and sketch out an idea that had popped into our heads. We were almost obsessed, itching to make things, with never enough time to create it all.
Our husbands asked what we were going to do with all of the earrings we were making….what were we going to do? We didn’t want to stop, but we had over 100 pairs of earrings. They told us we should try to sell them. But would people buy them? we wondered. We doubted. We debated. And then, we decided to go for it. And Klae was born.
It definitely has felt extremely smooth, fitting, and full of joy, like we were made for this exact purpose. We cannot fathom how or why, but know that the Lord made us to discover this medium and create this business.
Our business has grown steadily thanks to our family, friends, local community, and wonderful customers and we are overwhelmed with excitement for the future of Klae.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been a smooth road overall. We faced the same struggles that any other similar small business would face. We had to learn a new skill, how to make the highest quality product, how to market and sell it. We faced doubts of whether other people would like our art and would appreciate our earrings the same way we did. We struggled with some product development at one point. It has been hard to take something that is a hobby and make it into a business. Honestly, our biggest struggle is having so many ideas and not enough time to make them all a reality!
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Klae Design Co. – what should we know?
We specialize in handmade clay earrings. Our customers love how extremely lightweight even our largest styles are! We believe we have a pair for every woman and hope that our earrings help you to step out of your style box and find confidence. We hope to bring a little flair to everyday outfits and that our earrings bring joy on normal Mondays or fancy nights out. We are proud that within the saturated market of clay jewelry, we make truly unique pieces that stand out from other makers and reflect our personal styles.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
Ariel: Our unique combination of personalities creates a balance in our designs, ranging from bold to dainty styles. We are constantly challenging each other to grow, think outside the box, and embrace something different than we would typically choose. This creates a wide range of styles and allows us to meet and interact with so many women who turn around and inspire our design process. We also care deeply about the quality of our pieces and work to ensure that we give our best every time.
Elsie: I believe our brand is very personal. Our marketing is full of who we are as people and when you buy a pair of earrings from Klae, you know who made it. You know that our hands have touched and loved on every piece. And I think that’s extremely special in this age when many brands are completely faceless.
Pricing:
- Our earrings range from $16-25
Contact Info:
- Website: Klaedesignco.com
- Email: klaedesignco@gmail.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/klaedesignco
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/klaedesignco
Image Credit:
Kirsten Smith Photography
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