At an early age, Sasha Linney '02 decided that she did not like to wear what everyone else was wearing. In response, Linney's mother taught her how to sew her own clothing. Handcrafts were "ingrained in her upbringing," and the creative aspects of running a business that involves selling her own jewelry came easily to her.
"I've always had an eye for fabrics and patterns. I enjoy so much of this naturally," she said.
Linney confesses that she has little entrepreneurial experience and her sudden success surprises her. Since last spring, Linney has been selling her unique necklace designs to upscale boutiques in New York City, Princeton, Aspen, Colo., and her hometown of Bethlehem, Pa.
The flat and rectangular necklaces are about the size of a small cracker and dangle from a silver wire just above the collarbone. There are three primary designs, one of which resembles Piet Mondrian's "Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue." Linney has become so familiar with the pattern that she can reproduce the basic beading stitch in 15 minutes.
The business model
Though Linney has become more business-oriented, she still considers herself an artist.
"I've learned that when you make something, you never think your work is worth anything," she said. "Running a business like this is a paradox. You start treating [the necklaces] as things that can be marketable, but you don't want to depreciate the creative value."
Linney began selling the necklaces to her roommates and friends at the University for $20, but they are sold for considerably more in New York City. She started her retail business when the owner of the Jill Anderson boutique in Greenwich Village approached Linney's friend and asked her about the geometrical pendant she was wearing. Linney's pieces have since been sold at the store for $75 each.
Linney has acquired important marketing skills from her entrepreneurial endeavor.
"I'm not very experienced, but I've learned that all you need is one idea that is simple, easy, relatively inexpensive but looks expensive — that's the key," she said.
Her design came to her when she caught sight of a certain square bead as she was browsing the local shop, The Place to Bead. Linney now orders the Japanese square beads online. The other materials are easy to acquire — nylon coated wire, necklace clasps and flat-nosed pliers.
Over the past few years, Linney said she has thought about ways to make the process more "economical" — how to make the necklaces stronger but spend less time working on them. Currently she can complete four in a single one-hour sitting.
Linney incorporates her buyer's personality into each piece she makes. When crafting a necklace for someone, she takes into account the client's coloring and sense of style. Linney adapts the color scheme and type of bead to capture the client's distinct look.
"People always comment on her pieces because you can tell that they're handmade," roommate Lindsey Campbell '02 said. "I think they are really striking."
Until this year, advertising for the business has been solely word of mouth. She gained fame on the University campus when girls would approach her for accessories for their winter formal attire.
Growing pains
To accommodate increasing demand, Linney plans to expand her business with an interactive website with the help of friend Jon Harris '02. The site will include a "design-your-own" necklace program that uses Linney's color palette.
Since the business has grown so rapidly, Linney has enlisted her roommates to help maintain productivity. "I'm totally willing to try my hand at both making them and soliciting stores," Campbell said.
When Linney leaves to teach English in Malaysia next semester, her roommates will take over daily operation of her business. "I'll have a peripheral involvement as one of the operators," she said.
Linney said the experience of being her own boss is "unbeatable," allowing her the freedom to make necklaces at her own pace. Though she currently makes only necklaces, she hopes to "branch out" by designing clothing and entering design school.
"I would be totally happy running my own store and living upstairs," she said.
For Linney, the money is just a bonus. "I love every step [of the creative process]." The only drawback for her is getting blisters on her fingers. Linney acknowledged that it might be time to invest in a thimble.
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