Many may not have realized it, but Emma Holland's products have been showing up all over Auburn. Her signature flashy earrings are everywhere these days, and they’re hard to miss.
Holland started her Instagram shop, House of Holland Collections, in January 2018 and has seen massive success ever since. House of Holland features costume jewelry that is colorful and eccentric.
Holland, a marketing major and former Auburn student, has been around the fashion industry ever since she can remember. Until recently, her parents owned a children’s clothing store, and she eventually got a job at a wholesale market.
Initially, Holland started buying statement earrings for herself and her friends at the wholesale market. She launched the House of Holland Instagram page in January 2018 and now has over 2,000 followers.
Much like her product, Holland’s business model is somewhat unique. House of Holland business is conducted exclusively through the Instagram app. After buying products wholesale, Holland posts when she has new inventory, and followers can comment when they wish to purchase.
Because House of Holland is a one-woman show, Holland chooses all inventory herself. Her personal style shines through with the funky, colorful pieces Holland sells on her page.
Holland cites her study abroad experience and bloggers as major sources of inspiration. She found that the vibrant colors and bold fashion choices she saw during her five-week program in Italy this summer really aligned with her personal style.
However, Emma admits that the harder part is choosing simpler styles to round out the collection.
“I’m really bold with my style, and so the harder part is finding stuff I might not always want to wear but that my customers would enjoy,” she said.
In order to pick products that she doesn’t gravitate towards naturally, Emma looks to blogger Arielle Charnas of "Something Navy" for inspiration.
Holland explained that, although she is more of a maximalist herself, she appreciates Charnas’ more neutral style and tries to pick accessories Charnas might wear when deciding on more understated pieces to sell for House of Holland.
While Emma remains just as passionate about House of Holland as she was the day she started it, she admits that balancing school and entrepreneurship can be tricky.
She aims to treat every day like a nine-to-five work day, attending classes in the morning and working on her store in the afternoons. Holland confirms seeing customers wearing her earrings makes this diligence worthwhile, and that it’s the most rewarding part of owning a business.
While Instagram is the only way customers can get their hands on House of Holland accessories right now, a website is currently in the works.
While Holland enjoys the personal relationships she has built with customers through Instagram, she feels that the business has outgrown the platform in terms of selling.
In the future, Holland hopes to return to Auburn and open a brick-and-mortar retail location. She cites her time at Auburn as being incredibly influential to her style and her identity as a businesswoman.
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