Neutral toned beads spun into gold-filled wire lay on the craft table in the Rosedale apartment living room of sophomore jewelry maker Taylor Corrigan.
She works quickly, cutting string and sliding small beads of different sizes and textures onto it. Her work is professional, but she’s only a college student selling a jewelry line called Tay to SMU fashionistas out of her apartment.
As she pushes her political science textbook out of the way to make room for her crafting, she said, “I try to make something new at least once a week, but it’s hard being so busy with school. When I have time though, it’s really nice because I use it as a study break and it takes my mind off everything.”
In recent years, SMU student businesses have become a popular trend. In a fashion-savvy environment with close proximity to Dallas, SMU makes the perfect location for students to start accessories businesses.
In addition to Corrigan’s jewelry business, sophomore Justine McGregor started a hair tie business called Loops, which can be bought through her apartment or online website www.loopwithlove.com.
“I loved buying [the creaseless hair ties] but I wished they had more variation in color and style, so I took it into my own hands,” McGregor says.
By finding something already popular and giving it a unique flair, students are having great success with their creative businesses.
Corrigan’s jewelry line reflects her cool, bohemian style, but comes in such a wide variety that many SMU girls enjoy wearing them.
“I’ve always loved jewelry,” Corrigan gushes as she shows off more of her jewelry pieces. “When I was younger I made friendship bracelets, but as I grew up, and after my grandpa opened a bead shop, I was able to make more complex things.”
Corrigan grew up in a household where her mother and aunt made jewelry pieces for fun and gave them to friends and family.
It was coincidental that her grandpa opened a bead shop, but definitely inspired Corrigan to persevere with her business.
“The support I’ve received from my family definitely has brought me to where I am today with my business,” Corrigan says. “It’s great that we all enjoy doing creative projects because we can have fun with it when I’m home from school.”
SMU sophomore Kristyn Jones, a Tay customer, raves about her favorite accessories because of their uniqueness.
“I always get compliments on my macramé and elastic bracelets. They’re perfect for everyday wear and add spunk to any outfit,” Jones says.
The polished finished products look professionally made, but Taylor shares a few insider tips on how she creates them.
“Every piece is different,” she says, “but a lot of them involve wire wrapping and working with leather to incorporate the stones and other findings that I put in the piece.”
Corrigan likes incorporating new beads that her grandpa gets into his shop, or that she comes across on her own, to keep her products fresh and interesting.
She has sold Tay in a shop in Newport Beach, California, and continues to sell it out of a shop in her hometown of Las Vegas. In Dallas, her primary selling location is her apartment.
SMU students hear about her business through word of mouth, and it’s easy for them to walk over to her Rosedale apartment from campus to check out her pieces.
Running a business might sound stressful to the average student, but Corrigan takes it in stride.
“I love making and selling jewelry and seeing people wear it around campus and enjoy a creation that I made,” Taylor says, running her fingers through her wavy hair to reveal a turquoise wrap-around bracelet on her wrist.
“The pieces that make up Tay are perfect for a casual day of classes, or a dinner out in the city,” customer Nicole Pelino says. “I think businesses like Taylor’s are such a hit at SMU because students here are very fashionable, and always looking for ways to accessorize outfits, no matter what the occasion.”
