What girl hasn’t dreamed of designing her own jewelry line while staring at rows of accessories at Claire’s or walking longingly past a Tiffany storefront? Admittedly, not many of us ever pursue those flickering flames of entrepreneurial creativity. One collegiette from Amherst College worked such a flame into a fire—minus the preteen inspiration—and she’s about to give the world the ultimate lesson in function meets fashion.
Aiyanna Greene launches her own line of necklace-inspired earphones, called “Alkimees,” on April 20th. Inspired by necklaces she imagined Cleopatra might have worn, Aiyanna made an entrepreneurial leap and took a year off of college to develop an e-commerce startup and a Kickstarter campaign.
What are Alkimees?
Necklace-inspired earphones with a clasp that lets you wear the earphones like a necklace when they aren’t blasting Bey or RiRi. In fact, they’re even more versatile than your average necklace, thanks to interchangeable pendants.
How are Alkimees made?
Aiyanna made the first prototype of Alkimees by wrapping plastic earphone cords in beading wire (a 48 hour process!) to get the texture and color of a necklace chain. As she continued to experiment with designs, Aiyanna decided to encase the cords in a hollow snake chain so that they have the exact texture of necklace chains.
Aiyanna’s favorite thing about Alkimees?
She says, “I’ve never paid much attention to the feeling of wearing earphones or headphones because I use them out of necessity. I love that Alkimees look and feel like a necklace, but at the same time function exactly like normal earphones do. Wearing/using them to listen to music is a unique experience. Despite the fact that I enjoy their look and feel, I’ve always been more into earrings than necklaces so I also love that I can match the pendants with my earrings (and outfits).”
Where can I get an Alkimee?
A 40-day Kickstarter campaign launches this week, that will raise the funds necessary to complete the first production run of Alkimees. Based on estimates, all “Early Bird” backers will receive their Alkimees as early as October. As an “Early Bird” backer, you can pre-order a pair for only $40, instead of the normal retail price of $59.99.
So much for feeling accomplished about finishing your Math or Bio Review! Head on over to Kickstarter to pre-order your pair of Alkimees, and be on the lookout this fall for a Her Campus Davidson giveway of one pair of Alkimees!