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College
seniors buttin it up
For
some college students, senior year is about mischief,
but for Hollins University seniors Erin Wommack and
Jessica Manack it's all about Miss Chief. Miss Chief
Produc-tions, that is.
The
two women - Manack is from Pennsylvania and Wommack
is from Texas - have put together a company based on
making buttons. Wommack got started with a buttonmaker
she received as a gift from her grandmother.
Originally, the two roommates created buttons for a
privileged few friends and family members. But encouraged
by sales at Hollins' annual Arts Festival and excited
by the prospect of sharing their art with the general
public, they went into business last year.
Since
then, hundreds of buttons, retailing at $2 a piece,
have been sold at the New Museum of Contemporary Art
in New York City and Cantos Booksellers in downtown
Roanoke. The unique buttons feature images from old
magazines coupled with witty quips written by the two
young women. "A lot of our inspiration lies in
the absurdity that we all encounter on a daily basis
in the wacky world we live in. There is pretty much
a constant stream of pop culture fodder waiting for
comment," says Wommack. Past designs have included
a photo of a prim lady donning a sweater set accompanied
by the text, "Where my dogs at?" and a picture
of a man strolling peacefully down the beach with the
words, "I've got back fat!" plastered alongside
him.
Although
Wommack and Manack are balancing their business venture
with the pressure of double majors, they create new
buttons whenever possible. Since they both plan to remain
at Hollins to earn master's degrees, they intend to
continue the business after graduating in the spring.
-
Elizabeth Thalhimer
Return to Virginia Business - March
2002
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