Heir Raleigh, a jewelry brand started by an NC State alum, offers timeless, minimalistic jewelry pieces made to last.
Sophie Wiseman-Floyd, the owner of Heir Raleigh, attended NC State and credits the University as a significant contributor to why her brand exists today. She graduated with a degree in industrial design, noting that the curriculum pushed beyond her creative boundaries and led her to create the first Heir Raleigh product in a design classroom.
“Freshman year, I took a class where we had to make a multifunctional design with different ways of expressing itself,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “I decided to make a choker that can be worn in eight different ways. … The jewelry’s ability to change forms inspires me in terms of life.”
After her first jewelry creation, Wiseman-Floyd wore her pieces to class, where classmates wanted her designs for their accessory collections.
“I was in class wearing my designs, and my friends kept asking me about my jewelry,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “That’s when I noticed people were taking a liking to it, so I realized that there was definitely something here.”
Wiseman-Floyd started selling jewelry at pop-ups, her first being the Art2Wear fashion show where she saw that running a creative business could be her livelihood.
“The design school, the resources, my classmates and the ability to pop up in an educational environment is really cool,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “It gave me a launching pad.”
Now, Wiseman-Floyd sells her jewelry on her website and at multiple storefronts nationwide. In Raleigh, you can find Heir at Voda Boutique, a clothing retailer housed in North Hills.
“It’s been six years since we’ve carried Heir, and we’ve always had so much success,” said Kayla Brewer Cheek, the owner of Voda Boutique. “I’ve been able to watch [Wiseman-Floyd’s] business flourish and develop into what it is today. … The products that she makes are such amazing quality.”
The intention behind Heir’s designs is versatility. Wiseman-Floyd wants the pieces to be so multifaceted that the customer can develop new, unique ways to wear the jewelry.
“It makes me fall in love whenever customers find a new way to wear one of my pieces,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “I have a friend who wears my jewelry, and she’s always combining different pieces of mine to make something new.”
Heir Raleigh recently extended offerings to include permanent jewelry. Wiseman-Floyd invites customers to her porch for an intimate permanent jewelry experience.
“I have a booking system [for permanent jewelry] on my Instagram,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “I set up a waiting room where people can chill with free-flowing, unlimited Prosecco.”
Quality is Wiseman-Floyd’s number one priority. All of the jewelry is gold-filled, extending the life of the pieces and allowing the consumer to live an active lifestyle with the jewelry.
“The amazing thing about the jewelry is that you can shower in it, be active in it,” Wiseman-Floyd said. “These are creative pieces for the adventurous human being.”
Wiseman-Floyd’s advice for college designers looking to start a business? Take advantage of the resources around you, and find your passions early on.
“Don’t sleep on the resources, classmates and professors [at NC State],” Wiseman-Floyd said. “I started [Heir] my freshman year, and it was a brand that I was spending about half of my time running. … When I graduated, I got a couple of babysitting gigs to hold me over, but I’ve been full time ever since graduating, and it’s only been growing.”
To stay in the loop on all things Heir Raleigh, follow them on Instagram and Facebook, and check out their online store.
