Want to look fancy on New Year’s Eve without breaking the bank? Put on one of Lincey Viel Pepin’s sparkly bow tie chokers, and it will make your evening dress or T-shirt – or whatever you’re wearing – look festive. The bow tie, which comes in red, white and other colors, is sold at Arthlin, Pepin’s Auburn-based jewelry studio.
“It’s a very versatile accessory,” said Pepin, who designs the jewelry. “With fancy dresses, they’ll really add a touch of glam. We sell a lot of them at prom.”
The chokers are handmade – she’ll do custom sizing – and 95 percent of the materials and packaging are sourced in the United States. She makes them for other holidays, too, including Halloween, St. Patrick’s Day and the Fourth of July. Though Pepin makes other kinds of accessories, chokers, which are right on trend, are her main seller. “I don’t think they’re going away,” she said. “They’re a staple in fashion.”
Pepin caught a break when, a couple of years ago, her work caught the eye of model and TV personality Kendall Jenner, who shared one of Pepin’s chokers on her app and website. Orders flooded in after the celebrity endorsement, and Pepin spent her evenings making chokers at the kitchen table.
“It really put us on the map when she did that,” Pepin said.
Pepin was born into an artistic family in Quebec, where she started making her own jewelry and accessories. She launched the business in Louisiana, after she realized that the military base where she lived with her husband had few job opportunities. Three years ago, after her husband left the Army, the couple moved to Maine to be closer to family.
In March, Arthlin was named a Maine state champion in the SCORE American Small Business Championship, and in June, Pepin won a SCORE Award for Outstanding Woman-Owned Small Business in Maine.
Arthlin’s classic silver bow tie choker costs $20; others in the collection cost $14-$20. Find them on the Arthlin website, arthlin.com, and on Amazon.com and Etsy.com.
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