How the Golden Gems Sisters Learned to ‘Make Cool Shit, Take No Shit’
Empowerment looks different for everyone.
For 30-year-old Amanda Helman, it was finding her own voice after setting off on her own in college. For Susan Logsdon, her 33-year-old sister, it was the freedom of performing original music. Together, these experiences created the deeply rooted personal liberation that inspired Golden Gems - The bold, feminist AF, ‘take no shit’ lifestyle brand at 3156 Cherokee St. in St. Louis.
Sitting on the couch in May’s Place’s studio, the two sisters locked eyes and reminisced on the younger versions of themselves before ‘badass’ was in their vocabulary. They talked about the crafting show they made up when they were kids, Craft Makers of America, which was a creative seed planted early on. It’s something they recently unearthed from memory back in quarantine on Instagram Live. This time around, there was alcohol involved.
They talked about finding their voice at a young age when they left their conservative upbringing, ultimately deciding that their similar yet different childhood experiences have allowed them to use Golden Gems as a creative outlet. And, now, how it helps fuel their desire to inspire others to feel that same empowerment they felt back then.
“Growing up, being a badass seemed like something I shouldn’t be, like it wasn’t an option for me,” Susan said. “I learned that being a badass is not just one thing, it’s a lot of things. It can be subtle or it can be bold.”
“It’s like a knowing,” Amanda said, “It’s confidence. You don’t have to live up to the standards of the world.”
Golden Gems, a nod to the street they grew up on, started out as an online Etsy shop in 2016. When their apartment got too flooded with boxes and bubble wrap, they decided it was time for a storefront/studio, which they have operated since 2018.
This holiday season, in a year like no other, the sisters learned some lessons. For one, the hired a team of employees to help out, which they say has been a game changer.
They've also seen how their products help people take on daily challenges with simple reminders of confidence. One customer wrote, 'I looked down at my keychain today and it gave me the confidence to go into my meeting.' These reminders are printed all over their products with messages like “One Hell of a Lady,” “Baddest Babe in the USA,” and “You Are Magic.”
“How you talk to yourself is really important,” Susan said. “You can get into a very negative way of talking to yourself and the tiny reminders can be really helpful. To say ‘I’m a f****** gem,’ or ‘I’ve got what it takes.’ It’s so small but it can really affect the way you feel about yourself.”
Their own personal confidence hasn’t always been easy either. In 2021, they want to take charge of that, sporting a ‘new year, same you, keep kicking ass’ motto and a desire to just be unapologetically themselves. In a lot of ways, they do this through their personal style.
Susan has always been a musician. She is the lead vocalist of local band Scarlet Tanager. When she used to play shows before the pandemic, wearing a retro 60s-inspired dress was a go-to. She said she never went on stage without wearing a dress. That, along with her other closet favorites like her statement red/orange colored penny lane coat is what gives her the boost she needs.
Amanda takes her style inspo from Alexandria Ocasio Cortez, or AOC, as she loves to sport a strong blazer with high waisted trousers or a great pair of jeans. She also loves to add one of the brands graphic tees or hoodies under the blazer to tone down the business-y feel for a more casual cool. And always a red lip.
The contrast of their two style inspirations have one thing in common - Confidence and power, the “knowing” feeling that makes up the heart of Golden Gems.
“It’s a mind set,” Susan said.
“It’s knowing you got what it takes,” Amanda adds.
Check out shopgoldengems.com to learn more and to shop their extensive collection!
