Charis Jones, owner of Sassy Jones (Photo courtesy Sassy Jones)
What started eight years ago as an idea from Charis Jones’ dining room table has grown into a booming online fashion business, today employing 45 people in three warehouses in Manchester’s Clopton Siteworks.
The company, Sassy Jones, experienced its highest volume of sales in 2020, which Jones attributes to more people shopping online during the pandemic. Last year, the business ranked 75 on the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest-growing private companies in the country and was named a top 25 thriving company by Forbes magazine that same year. Jones was recently named a finalist in Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year awards for the Mid-Atlantic region, and the winner will be announced Tuesday, Aug. 3, during a virtual ceremony at 4 p.m.
Jones says of the recognition, “It feels, the first word that comes to mind is galvanizing, because as entrepreneurs we just do what we’re supposed to do; we’ll figure it out; we’ll support the team; we’ll support ourselves; we’ll lick our wounds; we’ll create something out of nothing,” she says. “It’s delightful to see someone recognize that. … To me it just feels like reinforcing, it feels galvanizing like, hey, you are on the right path.”
Sassy Jones offers bold and brightly colored, in-house-designed jewelry and accessories including handbags and a line of makeup. Jones, after growing tired of seeing similar pieces, decided to transition the business to producing all in-house-designed products in 2018. And last month, she released a new clothing collection, also designed in house. Jones describes the clothing line as “troho,” a mesh of tribal and boho. The line includes jumpsuits; dresses; and pant, short and jogger sets. They are sold as complete outfits, as opposed to purchasing the top and bottom separately. However, the pieces can also be mixed and matched with other items already found in your closet, such as adding the jumpsuit’s detachable wrap skirt to jeans and a T-shirt or pairing the short set’s top with slacks. Jones says the line was designed with versatility in mind.
Included in the initial launch of the Sassy Jones in-house-designed clothing line is this Los Palmos luxe two-piece short set paired with the Rochinda glass beaded oversized hoop earrings. (Photo courtesy Sassy Jones)
“[The line is] for our Sassy Jones customer. She’s the woman who walks in a room and she owns it … she’s a unique one,” Jones says. “So, this clothing line is designed for not only that, but comfort and versatility, too.”
The line features sizes from small to 2X, but Jones says they’re prepared to expand up to 6X based on demand. “We’ve always thought about size inclusivity, so that’s really, really important to us,” she says. Most ensembles in the collection average about $150. The clothing line’s initial launch includes 40 items, and since these are small-batch designs, once they sell out, they’re gone.
One way to view the designs as they are released is to join Jones’ trademarked “Sparkle Parties,” which she hosts on Facebook every Wednesday at 8 p.m. Models demonstrate how the fashions are worn and pair them with accessories and makeup to complete the look. Live participants can ask questions and get advice for creating their own looks.
After the initial launch, Jones says a new collection featuring more than 60 designs will begin rolling out in October.
As for the future, Jones says she’d like to eventually consolidate her business into one building instead of her current three and explore more wholesaling options (her products are also featured on the shopping network HSN).
The wife and mother of 6-year-old twin boys says of her success, “I am satisfied, but I am not full. … I know that if I can get this far, I got way more to cover, and I don’t ever want to stop. I want to see just how good it can get so there’s no complacency here at all.”
