One is the marketing guru, and one is the creative force. Their personalities and styles complement one another, and together sisters Christi Gardner and Julie Clark have made Liz Henry Jewelry a household name in the fashion and design world.
“I’ve always been interested in interior design and putting fashion ideas together,” said Gardner, 44. “I used to play in my mother’s jewelry box like all little girls, but I never really made necklaces myself until I got into this.”
Clark, 39, has been dabbling with crafting since she was a child, although she wasn’t exactly a natural to begin with, she said.
“When I was a kid I loved to draw and cross stitch, and I learned to crotchet and do other crafts from my grandmother. I wasn’t very good at it, but I tried. The first blanket I tried to crotchet turned out to be a small cape because it was a triangle instead of a square,” Clark said.
Gardner remembers making her first necklace sitting in her sister’s college apartment in Starkville.
“She walked in the room, and I said, ‘Hey, look what I just did,’ and she said, ‘Oh, my gosh, that’s really cute,’” she said.
Gardner started with hair barrettes and necklaces that featured school logos, and soon she was making beaded necklaces.
Liz Henry — named after Gardner’s middle name, Elizabeth, and beloved Cocker Spaniel, Henry — officially got off the ground in late 1999. Clark joined her sister in business shortly after, and the brand quickly grew and was featured in local shops and boutiques, followed by showrooms in such larger cities as Dallas and Atlanta. In the first year, Liz Henry sold into about 300 stores.
Clark said Gardner taught her everything she knew in the early days, but as the years have passed they’ve both learned different skills.
“I love having an idea and seeing it come together, especially when it becomes a big seller. It really makes you feel good to know people like what you create,” said Clark.
“Sometimes when we are creating something new we won’t let each other look until there’s a finished product. We want to see the other’s reaction — love it or hate it? We are very honest with each other.”
The company originally was housed in the kitchen of Gardner’s Brandon home, then moved to a small design studio and then to a larger storefront, in Fondren, in 2003.
“At one point we had six or seven ladies working full-time to help us meet demands and make jewelry,” she said.
But when Gardner and her husband, Chris, adopted daughter Gracie in 2006, she decided it was time to scale back the business a bit so she would have more time to focus on family life. The business is now run out of a custom-built studio in Gardner’s home.
“We still sell in about 80 stores, but we try to keep it manageable so I can be a mom, too,” she said.
Gardner said the Liz Henry style is classic, modern and elegant with versatile pieces that can be worn from day into night. Her favorite designs are earthy styles with mixed metals and stones.
“Right now I’m kind of into the boho chic style, but we’ve evolved as trends have changed,” she said. “When we first started, the floating hearts and floating crosses were big, and we couldn’t make enough of them. That first Christmas when we had our Fondren store, we would have 25 people waiting in line to get a floating heart necklace. It was insane.”
Clark said she and her sister work as a well-oiled machine in the creation process.
“I like things symmetrical and Christi is more asymmetrical,” said Clark. “She can throw things together that end up looking great. I have to start out with a plan and need things balanced.”
Liz Henry has been featured in such magazines as Brides, Vogue, Entertainment Weekly, Southern Living, and Cosmo Girl and has been worn by celebrities such as Hilary Duff, Hayden Pannettiere and Sela Ward.
The success of the business has really been an unimaginable dream come true, Clark said.
“We never imagined Liz Henry would be where it is today. I’m happy with how far we’ve come and am excited to see what the future brings. Christi and I laugh about how in the world we’re going to be able to do this when we can’t see anymore.”
STORY Elizabeth Grey
PHOTOGRAPHY Melanie Thortis
