Last October, Sophia Allison (‘25) went to LaBarra Salon to get her nails done as usual. After this particular visit, she walked out as a business owner who makes and sells permanent bracelets for customers at LaBarra Salon.

“I got my nails done by the owner who runs the salon. She said she needed someone to run the business, and she thought I was a good candidate, so we became friends,” said Allison.

Learning something new

Permanent bracelets are made from melting metal rings together to create a bracelet that will not fall off. They are measured out to perfectly fit your own wrist and attached link by link. You can get a single, or a stack to upgrade your collection. They can be removed by cutting or snipping them off with scissors. 

“The process starts when the customer will choose whichever link they want. I will measure it out to their wrist and make sure they like the length of it. Then, I’ll take a little ring and connect it to both sides and close the ring. I then weld it together with a machine and it’s finished,” said Allison. 

Since working at LaBarra salon, Allison has mastered the process to install and perfect each bracelet to the customer’s wrist. After gaining popularity, Allison created the name “Labarra Links” for her business.

“I did research online and I got familiar with the machine and tools I have to use. I have different prices based on the style of bracelets. Some are ~$65 and others can be around $400,” said Allison.

Practice makes perfect

Learning to attach permanent bracelets on her own was not an easy task, but Allison grew to enjoy it, allowing her business to open more opportunities. She had help from her boss, family, and friends, who let her practice with their wrists. 

“My greatest challenge was at the beginning. I was very bad at it and I had very shaky hands. I’m now the main person that does the bracelets, but my boss who owns the salon will also do bracelets sometimes if I’m not working,” said Allison.

Since Allison’s business is still relatively new, her main goal is to increase her company’s reach.

“I’d say my goals are just to spread the business as much as I can. We have reached a couple of goals by having pop-ups with salons and throwing parties. Ultimately, I just would like to see how far I can take the business,” said Allison.