Spotlight On Local: New Origin Shop
Why did you develop the brand you did? What does it mean to you and what do you think it means to your clients?
My brand started as a means of self expression. I’d recently relocated to Austin from New York City and I was in my 1st year of working a really demanding Special Education teaching position. On one hand I was truly inspired by the change of pace the move to Austin presented in my life, and I was really fascinated with the intentionality of being a “bagless” city. On the other hand I needed a way to decompress from the physical, emotional and consistent demand of teaching teenagers. I turned to crochet, crocheting minimal,stylish reusable bag alternatives to be exact. Before you knew it, I had so many bags that I chose to open my Etsy shop. This was in 2017.
Fast forward to 2019 and my beginnings still inspire the New Origin Shop brand. We’re rooted in minimal designs that encourage our clients to look and feel their best while also reflecting on our consumptions as humans. With each piece designed I want our clients to feel intentional, inspiring, comfortable and most of all stylish.
What is the favorite piece you make or sell? Why does it stand out?
I’m still in awe of our community's reception of our statement earrings. As a woman who often wears short hair, I typically turn to a statement earring to really highlight my facial features and to make a unique statement. I think that my love for this accessory really shows with our designs and resonates with a lot of our customers.
When you wear a pair of my statement earrings, I want you to feel confident, bold and fierce—and to feel effortless while doing so. Comfort and style are essential, you’d be amazed how lightweight our earrings are.
Sierra Lewis, owner of New Origin Shop, models one of the pieces she’s best known for: the statement earrings.
How has being an entrepreneur affected the way you view the world?
It’s really opened me up to people. Even when I lived in New York, surrounded by millions of people each day, it was hard to feel connected to anyone outside my own social circle. Being an entrepreneur—and having to interact with so many new faces at shows—has really broadened my horizons. I think that it has reinforced that we’re all different and unique—but also have enough in common to be open to new connections.
Does being a business owner impact your personal life? How?
100%. My business feels like everything to me—so it’s permeated into my personal life. I’m always thinking about it in some way. Marketing, products, shows, and everything that comes with that stuff is in the back of my mind even when I’m not focusing on it.
photo credit: Celeste Boykins
What do you hope will change about your business in five years?
I think that everyone wants growth in their five year plan, right? To me, growth doesn’t just mean raking in more money (though, of course I do hope for financial prosperity for my business). Growth for New Origin Shop means an expansive community of women and local makers using my site as a go-to platform. Additionally, I hope to grow into a role that’s more big picture—so that may mean directing production and curating and less product making on my own.
What do you hope will be the same about your business in five years?
I think no matter how far into the future New Origin Shop goes, my hope is that the core belief of the company always stays true.
Even if I’m not the sole designer in the future, I want each piece in our shop to have that “minimal statement” feel. Our products should be accessible, affordable, empowering, and conscientious. No matter how big New Origin Shop gets, I think that this philosophy will always be at the center of our business.
“Even if I’m not the sole designer in the future, I want each piece in our shop to have that “minimal statement” feel. Our products should be accessible, affordable, empowering, and conscientious. No matter how big New Origin Shop gets, I think that this philosophy will always be at the center of our business.”
How do you try to support Austin women?
I try to be an open book whenever I meet with other Austin women makers. I’m really passionate about finding and contributing to this awesome community and I think information sharing (and truth sharing) goes a long way. A rising tide raises all ships, right?
I feel like this mantra has led me to my Caravan Co-Op family. We’re a Co-Op store of women makers out in the Galleria at Bee Caves. It was through a series of online and in-person conversations that culminated with me having a floor space in the store.
My hope is to broaden this out to all Austin women—not just makers. I’m really interested in the idea of setting up workshops to encourage and nurture creativity and skill building.
What can the city government or local community do to support your business (besides visiting it more)?
I enjoy that Austin has small business resources, and I try to take advantage of that as much as possible. I do think that efforts from the city to provide affordable studio and retail space could really help. Also, more visibility would go a long way. Even simple things like word of mouth helps businesses like mine grow.
What about your brand or yourself do you most associate with Austin? How does it reflect Austin?
The very name “New Origin Shop” is deeply associated with Austin. I view this city as my new point of origin because there’s an atmosphere here, that I just didn’t have on the east coast, that allows me to experiment and thrive. It's so vibrant and creative, yet still tight-knit that it allowed me to try and build this wonderful thing. I believe wholeheartedly that had I not moved here, New Origin Shop would not exist.
If you were allowed to only eat one food every day for the rest of your life, but it provided you all the nutrition you needed, what would that food be and what do you love about it?
Le French Fry—in all its varied forms. What's not to love about french fries? It’s the perfect comfort food. It’s great on it’s own—or you can dress it up.
