Two friends have made a business out of giving vintage spoons a second life by transforming them into wearable art.
Logan Daugherty, 20, and Anneliese McInnis, 20, met in the fourth grade, but it was not until July 2020 that they took on the titles of business partners.
The girls were on vacation over the summer and found state spoons at an antique shop that they thought would be beautiful as handmade spoon rings. After experimenting with the ring making process, they posted the final products on their personal Instagram accounts to see if the rings were something their friends and family would be interested in.
The response from their local community of Lake Norman, North Carolina, was positive, and the encouragement pushed the friends to make an official Instagram account for their rings in August.
“We made our Instagram from there and decided that was our turning point to make it into something a little bit bigger than just a hobby,” McInnis said.
The two named their brand Urban Collective after a friend suggested it during an excited brainstorm, and it stuck.
In October, they transitioned from solely selling on Instagram to Depop, a popular website for commerce, and expanded their cliental yet again when they created their own website in December.
“We never really thought it would go any further than our local people and so it’s just been absolutely insane,” Daugherty said. “Just the fact that we’re still doing this this much later…It’s just such a blessing, and I know God has really blessed this business more than I could have ever imagined.”
The girls communicate with their customers via Instagram, asking their audience what products they want to see and perfecting their craft based on the feedback they get from the people who support them.
Their online presence brought bigger named clients like YouTuber Emma Topp and former “Dance Moms” star Mackenzie Ziegler.
“That exposure from those influencers has kind of opened doors for us working with other influencers and really grown our brand in general,” Daugherty said.
The operation has remained just the two of them. As a result, monthly launches of 25-30 rings are quite the task. Despite the extra work, the girls appreciate the creative freedom that comes with remaining a duo.
Whether it is selling out in a week or navigating how to prioritize making their product affordable for their audience, they are experiencing each new task together with open minds.
“We read each other’s mind as far as vision and aesthetic, we are right on point with each other, which is great,” McInnis said. “That’s the benefit of having a business with your best friend.”
Daugherty attends Liberty and creates the rings in her dorm room while McInnis runs Urban Collective’s social media from her bedroom, attending online classes for NC State. While COVID-19 created difficulties for small businesses, establishing a heavy online presence created the opportunity for their business to thrive even with the owners living in separate states.
“I think we kind of just started it at a really good time too,” McInnis said. “The whole e-commerce aspect of it has been helpful just because of COVID-19 and not being able to be face to face with people. What we do has been really good for the time period because we are still able to do what we need to do despite the circumstances.”
Daugherty and McInnis have recently added clothing items such as hoodies and shirts to their website in an attempt to expand their brand and, while they are overjoyed with the state of Urbancollective as it is, they are excited to see how far God will take it.
Rings usually sell for $20 to $35 depending on the ring. Follow their Instagram account, @myurbancollective and keep up with new releases on their website, www.myurbancollective.wixsite.com/shop.
Nadia Vires is a Feature Reporter. Follow her on Twitter at @nadiavires.