How Hemingway & Hardy gives new life to vintage designer jewelry
Updated: Jun 14, 2021
Meet Carmen Coats of Hemingway & Hardy! She has always had a deep love for designer goods and vintage. One day she came across some vintage designer buttons on Etsy then bought some jewelry-making supplies, and the rest is history! She quickly fell in love with repurposing luxury pieces without the designer price tag, and now hand-makes each piece in her dining room!
Sourcing Vintage Jewelry & Finding Inspiration
Most of Carmen's business revolves around her sources. She began buying buttons on Ebay, which led to making strong connections to vendors in the industry. Hemingway & Hardy vintage designer buttons are now sourced from all over the world, while her vintage jewelry is sourced from Ebay auctions, estate sales, and even from her personal collection. Carmen has loved vintage jewelry since a little girl, finding beauty and glamour in the elegant pieces from the 50s and 60s. She cleans, repairs, and repurposes those pieces for pierced ears to give them a brand new, modern life!
Carmen covets the relationships she builds on her jewelry-making journey. She loves connecting with her clients and providing a new life to designer pieces at an affordable price. Seeing her jewelry on her wonderful, vibrant, fashionable clients is what truly makes her happy.
Background
The name Hemingway & Hardy is very personal for Carmen. Hemingway, S.C. (population 529!) is her hometown, and the name Hardy is from her grandmother, Doris Seay Hardy. Her mother and grandmother were big influences on her style, as they both shared a deep appreciation of designers. Carmen's mom believes you get exactly what you pay for, so it may as well be fabulous!
Carmen began her career in the Belk corporate offices, specifically buying fashion accessories and shoes. This gave her a good sense of what works and what doesn't when it comes to women's accessories. She also had the privilege of meeting many designers like Donald Pliner, Betsy Johnson and Steve Madden, and was always in awe of their creativity and passion. It seems to have rubbed off on her!
If Carmen isn't creating jewelry, she's tending to her full-time marketing job, spending time with her family, and exploring our growing town.
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