Today we’d like to introduce you to Holly Soneye.
Hi Holly, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In November of 2021, I decided to put my creative ideas into a business. During the covid pandemic, I continued studying beauty and fragrance business at the Savannah College of Art and Design. Through my academic studies and independent research on product development and design, I created my business and named it Cape Crescent Company. I grew up on Cape Cod in Massachusetts. I was blessed to experience being raised in one of the most beautiful places in the world. I took my love of Cape Cod and nature to create my home fragrance line. In my first year on Esty, my products were well received, and I have continued to grow and expand my business while continuing my college career.
I have lived in Savannah for four years but return home to Massachusetts on college breaks. This is when production is in full gear. I have also created products on the weekends in Savannah as well.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Overall it has gone far better than expected. The challenges have been more technical and learning to create the best-looking design for my brand. I have had a lot of personal growth during my first year and have improved my products and created a brand I am proud of. I have struggled with building the business alone while taking intense classes at SCAD. I feel proud of what I have accomplished.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am a senior in the Business of Beauty and Fragrance at Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) with a double minor in Fashion Marketing and Merchandising and Fashion Journalism. While at SCAD, I have learned a lot about the beauty and fashion industry, which has given me the skills to start my own business from the bottom up.
Within the business of beauty and fragrance majors, we do numerous workshops where we would use fragrance oils to create our fragrance blends for different prompts. In one workshop, for example, we had a prompt to make a cologne for the traditional American man where we had to select the fragrance notes and tell a story as to why this would suit this consumer. When I completed this class activity, I found at the end how much I loved creating these detailed and personal stories with fragrance.
In my major specifically, there are a lot of excellent opportunities to work with the most prominent beauty companies in the world. However, the longer I was in the program, the more I realized how much I appreciated where I came from in Cape Cod, Massachusetts, where small businesses and artists thrive. I envisioned myself as someone who leads and creates their brand, which sets me apart from others.
As for what I’m most proud of, I would say being the first person in my major to have entered shopSCAD as a black businesswoman and full-time college student.
Do you any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I have always loved travel and wish to continue to explore the world in my adult years. My mother, a social worker in child protective services in Massachusetts, worked many extra hours to save for my dream trip to Paris, France. We went on a ten-day mother/daughter trip when I was 16 years old. I saw the palace of Versace, the Eiffel tower, Notre dame, Musee YveSaintLaurent, the Louver, and many other sites that have inspired my creative side for beauty. One of my fondest memories was creating a fragrance at a workshop in Paris.
Contact Info:
- Website: capecrescentcompany.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/capecrescentcompany/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/capecrescentcompany
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollysoneye/
- Other: https://cape-crescent-company-1867.myshopify.com
Image Credits
@capecrescentcompany
