Jeniffer Kellogg's jewelry brings new meaning to the phrase "fresh as a daisy." The handmade pieces, fashioned from sterling silver and semiprecious gemstones, include tiny holders where the heads of fresh flowers can be inserted, allowing the wearer's look to change with every outfit. "This is the ultimate reusable jewelry," says the 29-year-old New York City entrepreneur. For the visually impaired, she's also got a line of sterling silver rings, necklaces and bracelets that include inspirational words in Braille.
A 1993 graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design who also apprenticed with an artist in Amsterdam, Kellogg began her career as a jewelry designer at age 11 when she made earrings out of papier-mache and sold the pieces at a boutique near the Capitol in her hometown of Washington, DC. After a stint as the advertising and marketing director of the Whitney Boin Studio in New York City-her schooling in the business side of the art world-Kellogg launched her own studio in February, using $25,000 in personal funds.
The pieces, which cost $80 to $390 and have appeared in Jane and Weddingbells magazines, are sold at a limited number of stores in Texas and Washington, DC, but most of Kellogg's sales are generated via her Web site (www.jenniferkellogg.com) and advertisements in garden design magazines. During Kellogg's first year, her primary focus will be creating new designs, including jewelry based on the periodic table of the elements and on the charts that test for colorblindness. The push to generate greater sales volume will come later, she says. And that's probably just fine with those who wear her creations. "People with an artistic sensibility, people who like to express themselves, appreciate my work," says Kellogg. "My intention is to add humor and a witty sensibility to my pieces."
Pamela Rohland, a writer from Bernville, Pennsylvania, would adorn Jennifer Kellogg's necklaces with miniature daffodils, her favorite flower.
This story appears in the November 2000 issue of Startups. Subscribe »
