Autumn Jacob, a sophomore at the University of Michigan and in the School of Information, proves that age is but a number. I had the pleasure to sit down with her and learn about her business, Society Stitched and how she manages to balance being a Leading Lady and a full-time student. 

   

{SS}: Tell us about yourself:

{AJ}: I am From West Bloomfield, MI. I am very creative. I have always been interested in different types of arts. I love fashion and playing around with clothes. I love being able to make things look beautiful and piecing them together, whether that be designing online or through my everyday life. I enjoy the outdoors and being active and I love the water. One fun fact is that summer is my favorite season even though my name is Autumn.

{SS}: How did you come up with this product?

{AJ}: I took Spring Term last year, and I saw that patches were becoming a big trend and I would see them all over. I also noticed that people would have stickers on their laptops, so I thought that I could tie those 2 aspects together and make it easy for people to take them on and off of their stuff. That is just where the idea started, but it doesn’t have to be your computer, my patches can go on shoes, sweaters, backpacks, water bottles, and more! I then came up with few simple designs and samples, and my friends would test them out. I decided to make the company bigger, so I did some research and looked at people’s laptop stickers, which helped me come up with the Michigan and sorority themed ones because I noticed people like to represent things that they love on their things.

{SS}: What makes your patches unique?

{AJ}: First, Society Stitched are not just patches because they are sticky, normally they are iron-on, but I changed that and made it possible to put them on anything. I think the Designs are really fun and trendy. I also took the standard concept and evolved the way it was normally seen. It’s cool because when people see them on laptops they always ask questions about them and people are always so impressed when they learn about them.

{SS}: What inspired you to start this business?

{AJ}: My brother definitely inspired me the most. He has a company himself and seeing his passion and investment into that inspired me to do it myself. I also got a lot of inspiration from being in NYC this summer. There was a lot of design inspiration around me, which helped with my process of designing patches. I also think my roommates last year helped me a lot because they were the ones to tell me to pursue it. They are very supportive friends and I am not sure I would have followed through without them. It is always nice to have compliments on your business and it helps push you to do better. I think being an entrepreneur involves lots of risk, but when you know people love your product it makes it a lot better

{SS}: Did you design all of the patches yourself? If so, which one did you have the most fun designing?

{AJ}: I idealized all of the designs. I worked with a graphic designer to help make them look better and more professional. I had the most fun with the food patches because I think they reflect who I am as a person.  The fortune cookie and Slurpee aren’t so mainstream, which is the most amazing thing about having your own company because it allows room for you to show off who you are. Like my Instagram is an expression of things that are a part of me; this company is now an expression of things that make me, me.

{SS}: Which one do you wear the most or is your favorite?

{AJ}: I probably wear The Michigan cursive patch the most. I love representing going to Michigan. I think this patch is so sleek and it looks good on anything, I get the most amounts of compliments on it.

{SS}: How long did the development of your company take?

{AJ}: I started working on it in the spring of 2016 and then launched my website in December of 2016

{SS}: How did you come up with the name?

{AJ}: In New York, I wanted it to be something that had to do with the patches so “stitched” because of the embroidery, and then what they represent which is how “society” became the second half of the name. Society is a part of everyone and therefore his is just the beginning of the brand, I am going to make more patches that everyone loves and wants to represent and to incorporate a lot of other aspects of society.

{SS}: We noticed a lot of your patches are Michigan Greek life themed, why is this?

{AJ}: I think mostly because of the trends I saw on people’s laptops in the beginning. Being a college student, I noticed that people like representing the organizations they are a part of. Especially being in a sorority, people love wearing their apparel and this is a way for girls to put their letters on other things that aren’t necessarily Greek life affiliated, you can stick it to literally anything. I think they are most popular on the phone and the computer.

{SS}: Clearly your patches are geared to college students, especially at the University of Michigan, what would you say has been the easiest and the hardest part about getting your company out there into the college community?

{AJ}: Now with social media, it is a lot easier to get the word out and connect with people all over the world. I started out with the sorority and the Michigan patches because I am here and have the most connection with that. I am going to have patches for all different schools and other collections geared towards other fun things. The easiest way for me to start my market was to make them aware of what I was doing. The hardest part was explaining the concept. People are always confused when I show them the patches and how they work, showing people how they work and what they are exactly.

{SS}: What are your future goals/ideas/ plans for Society Stitched?

{AJ}: This is only the beginning. I am going to have different collections in the very near future.  I want to create more college patches, so stay tuned for more of those soon. I have many surprises coming up that I don’t want to ruin…but let’s just say there is more to come.

{SS}: What is the best piece of advice someone has given you about being a young, female Entrepreneur?

{AJ}: To stay focused and really put the time into what you are doing, I don’t think age really matters. People are seriously your best resources. There have been so many people who were willing to make things happen for me.  Also, being on this campus has helped me so much and I have been able to use the minds of people on this campus because there are so many smart people but they also want you to do well.

{SS}: What is the most important trait to have when creating a business, especially while in school? 

{AJ}: It is so important to manage your time wisely and balance. It is definitely possible to do well in every aspect, but you have to plan things accordingly. Make sure to leave time for yourself, and don’t get too caught up in anything. 

{SS}: What is the hardest part about being a college student and a business owner?

{AJ}: My Mind drifts a lot to Society Stitched when I am in class. Sometimes I will want to answer an email or if I create an idea in my mind, I will want to act on it right away and I can’t do that. I have to remember to stay focused on my academics while I am in class. I also need to remember to let my mind rest from my company.

{SS}: What does a typical day look like for the Society Stitched owner?

{AJ}: It Involves going to class, fulfilling custom orders, it’s planning for upcoming trunk shows, and making up some new designs. Like I said, I really like to take time to myself, I always try to do yoga, I go a lot. It helps clear my mind and to be more productive later on.

{SS}: Is there one actress, actor, singer, etc. that you would love to see rocking your patches?

{AJ}: I would love for Something Navy (pictured right) the fashion blogger to have some of my patches that would be cool. Another one would be Mac Miller. I have been listening to his music a lot lately and I think he is a cool guy. Also Anderson Paak is an artist I really like.

{SS}: What is the coolest item you have seen someone stick your patches too?

{AJ}: I’ve seen them stuck to a wall with a picture underneath, so the patch is holding up a picture. People use them to hold Polaroid’s up on the wall which is cool.

Thank you so much Autumn for letting StyleShack sit down with you and learn all about your business. To follow Autumn and Society Stitched's journey, follow her instagram @societystitched and shop her products at http://www.societystitched.com