Kate Sullivan, now 26, started making jewelry in her bedroom when she was 19. She never imagined that her designs would one day be worn by stars like Gigi Hadid and SZA.
Today, Sullivan’s online jewelry company, The Sage Vintage, earns over $570,000 in sales in 2024.
Sullivan began The Sage Vintage as a side project after she paused her college studies in 2017. She had been studying neuroscience at the University of Colorado Boulder but decided to leave school and move back to her father’s home in a Chicago suburb.
To earn money while deciding what to do next, Sullivan started buying vintage clothes from thrift stores and selling them on Depop, a popular resale website.
Her clothing business made some profit. But when the Covid-19 pandemic began, more people entered the clothing resale market, and Sullivan’s sales dropped.
She realized she needed to change her approach. “I wanted to do something different, to stand out, and to make sure my business lasted,” she said.
Her idea came when she found an old jewelry-making kit from her childhood. In 2020, she started creating handmade jewelry.
“I thrifted some necklaces, took them apart, and began making charm jewelry. That’s how it all began,” Sullivan said.
Becoming Her Own Boss
With her father’s help, Sullivan searched local flea markets, antique malls, and thrift shops for vintage charms and chains. She sold her first charm necklaces on Depop, pricing them between $60 and $100.
“At that time, I didn’t see many people making charm jewelry. It seemed a bit outdated, and I liked how it made each piece unique,” she said.
As her business grew, Sullivan launched her own website in January 2020. She named it The Sage Vintage, after her dog Sage. She sold both clothing and jewelry there.
“Creating our website made it feel real because I wasn’t just selling on another platform. It was my own business,” she said.
Sullivan planned to return to college but decided to quit school and focus on The Sage Vintage full time.
“Once I started being my own boss, I knew I didn’t want a regular job,” she said.
She worked from her bedroom, often making jewelry until 1 or 2 a.m. She packed and shipped orders herself but hired a contract worker in August 2020 to handle customer emails.
By the end of 2020, her sales reached just over $70,000. After expenses, Sullivan paid herself $12,000.
“It felt like I was just getting by,” she recalled. “I hoped to earn much more the next year.”
Collaborations and Celebrity Fans
Sales stayed around $70,000 in 2021. But in 2022, business took off after a viral collaboration with Haricot Vert, a handmade jewelry brand from New York City.
In July 2022, Sullivan and Haricot Vert launched a special collection of 30 unique pieces, priced between $100 and $350.
The collection sold out in less than five minutes.
“That blew my mind,” Sullivan said. “I had never made that much money so quickly.”
Her later collaborations with Haricot Vert also sold out fast and gained attention online.
“When I saw my jewelry all over Pinterest, I knew this was something big,” she said. “Even now, I still see old pictures of my work on social media and sometimes don’t recognize it’s mine.”
Sullivan’s customers include famous celebrities. Singer SZA wore an abalone butterfly necklace from The Sage Vintage during a 2022 music festival performance. Model Gigi Hadid was spotted in 2023 wearing a necklace from a Sage Vintage and Haricot Vert collaboration.
Hadid’s stylist contacted Sullivan, who then sent three custom pieces.
“That was an incredible moment for me,” Sullivan said.
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