Southern Entrepreneurs 2021
FRILLS AND FLOUNCES
A CHARLESTON MAKER AND HER LOVED ONES THRILL FASHIONISTAS WITH HANDMADE PIECES THAT SHIMMER, SHINE, AND SHAKE UP ANY WARDROBE.
Kindling a footloose spirit akin to flapper-era fringe, tassels have a way of eliciting smiles. Mimi Striplin recognized the potential for these sassy strands in all shades of the rainbow to brighten both outfits and moods, so she founded a jewelry company that showcases the endless wearable possibilities.
“The Tiny Tassel is best described by our core value: happiness,” says Mimi, a South Carolina native and graduate of the College of Charleston. “My inspiration was to bring joy to others’ lives by hand-making statement earrings in fun, bright colors.”
Available in a variety of hues, the Signature Tassel Earrings were Mimi’s premier offering when she started out on the online company Etsy in 2015. From neons to subtle metallics, the lightweight baubles paved the way for statement necklaces, beaded bracelets, and acrylic earrings, all embellished with handcrafted tassels.
“My sister bought me a pair of pink tassel earrings for my birthday, and she’s so practical; she said, ‘You should really just try to make these.’ Of course, I took it as a challenge,” Mimi says. She watched a few online tutorials and hit the ground running. “I started wearing them, and friends started asking about them—the tassel trend was just picking up then—and it grew from there.”
Before long, Mimi’s artistically inclined family members joined her, and the business expanded to include party décor and other fashion essentials. Comprised of bejeweled and gold-plated earrings shaped like flamingos, flowers, fruits, and more, the Curated Collection is a collaboration between Mimi and her sister, a Dallas-based accountant who dreams up designs in her free time. Mimi’s mother, a talented seamstress, sews every piece in their apparel line, which has grown from headbands and scarves to dresses, skirts, and tops stitched from fabrics they source from artists worldwide.
“We like to stick to what
