Sisters Get Personal With Online Venture
When sisters Janey Steward and Kristen Hillman first started Accessories Auction on Facebook four years ago, they had no idea their side project would become their full-time job.
Now, with the site having transformed into Liz and Honey, the sisters have roped in their younger sister Margaret Rudd and turned their love for jewelry into a full-blown clothing and accessories online store.
“This all just started casually. Kristen and I were new moms and were looking for a side business, and just started selling jewelry on Facebook,” Steward said. “First we were shipping off our dining table and then its just took off. We bought an office, hired employees, and began expanding. It feels like a lifetime ago.”
Now the sisters, who all graduated from Highland Park High School and later the University of Texas, run an online site full of clothing, accessories, and, of course, jewelry.
Stocked with clothing the sisters themselves would wear (and at a price point the three would spend), Liz and Honey serves women of all age groups. From going out at night to a parent-teacher conference at school, the brand focuses on clothes and accessories that set a flattering, exciting base for a woman’s wardrobe.
“Our aesthetic reflects each of our individual tastes. We buy what we want to wear everyday in our stages of life. Although all of our styles are somewhat similar, combining our three unique tastes allows us to have something for everyone in our store. And of course, we don’t buy something unless we all love it,” Rudd said.
For the sisters, conquering online shopping and successfully moving their business, and following, from Facebook to the online marketplace is not nearly the end of their expansion. In the fall, Liz and Honey launched a custom jewelry line, with all pieces sold for less than $75.
“We were having a hard time finding good quality jewelry at a moderate price point for our customers, so we decided to create our own,” Steward said. “Kristen, Margo and I design the pieces using real gemstones, and we focus on unique statement pieces and also those everyday looks that you can throw on with every outfit.”
Named after the sisters’ grandmothers, the brand has brought the sisters closer together. Steward and Hillman, just one year apart, always knew they wanted to start a business together, and say their sisterhood developed into a natural partnership.
“From the sister standpoint, we all work really well together. It makes discussion so much easier, since we know we have to be direct. And no one can get their feelings hurt, since we have to work together every day,” Steward said.
A true family business, Steward and Hillman turned to their husbands, mother, and father when they first launched Accessories Auction for a few extra hands. Their father was an entrepreneur who died from Lou Gehrig’s disease in 2012.
“He was so proud, and that’s been a huge motivating factor for us,” Hillman said.
