Nestled within the bustling brick buildings in Acorn Alley is Midnight Fairy Jewelry, a locally owned small business new to Kent.
The jewelry store, owned and operated by Natasha Kardos, opened its doors at the end of June at 154 E Main St. in Kent, Ohio.
“I had been making jewelry and selling it locally since the beginning of 2023, end of 2022,” Kardos said. She started making jewelry as a fun hobby and a good way to make extra money, but she decided it was time to take her business to the next level.
“I also feel like I work best in environments where it’s smaller, so to be my own owner where I don’t have to follow somebody else’s rules, it just kind of made more sense that way,” Kardos said.
Like many jewelry makers, Kardos has been creating things since she was a little kid.
Growing up, Kardos “used to do arts and crafts with [her] nana and her grandma,” and her mother.
For Kardos, her favorite part of this experience so far has been knowing that the store belongs to her. “Everything is kind of like my own,” Kardos said. “It’s all basically me and my boyfriend’s, so it’s all kinds of our stuff. It makes it more personal.”
When Kardos was opening the store, she faced her fair share of challenges along the way.
“When I was opening the store, I did it with barely any money, so that was kind of, like, very stressful. I had one month–I had a set timeline in my head,” Kardos said. “So, I was like ‘okay, I need to open in one month, I’ll do it however I can,’ like I got real thrifty with it.”
Upon walking into Midnight Fairy Jewelry, customers are greeted with smiling faces and a playlist full of artists like Chappell Roan and Sabrina Carpenter.
The hyper-pop music serves as a stark contrast to the otherwise dark and mystical aesthetic of the jewelry and other merchandise within the store.
“I really love all things metaphysical, Pagan, I used to really love Greek Gods and Goddesses when I was a little kid and had this one book that kind of inspired the more ethereal-like spiritual necklaces that I like to do,” Kardos said.
Customers already love the store and are excited to see what’s next.
“It’s better to buy from local stores because the items are more personal and you know that someone took their time and made the jewelry pieces perfectly for you,” Gabrielle Kennedy, junior fashion design and fashion merchandising major at Kent State, said.
“I like that every experience is individualized to the customer,” Kennedy said.
For those who choose to purchase jewelry online, Kardos understands, but believes it’s a much better experience for customers who choose to shop locally.
“It’s definitely more personal coming to a storefront versus ordering online – I like to talk to people, I like to get to know my customers, I also like to pick pieces out for people that fits their energy,” Kardos said. “I like making personal connections with the customers.”
It can also be a matter of quality. “There’s just something about handmade jewelry versus mass-produced jewelry that just makes it so much more personal and individual, like one-of-a-kind pieces,” Kardos said.
Opening a business in a busy college town – such as Kent – means that business owners never go unsupported.
Kardo enjoys the environment with her fellow business owners in Acorn Alley.
“I like that we have a cute little community here of like-minded people who want to help and uplift each other while also driving [their] own business.”
As for the future of Midnight Fairy Jewelry, Kardos is thrilled for the coming months.
“We’re gonna have a lot of fun things for Halloween – really fun collections coming out.” Kardos said. “We also just got a ton of new inventory in, and we have more coming – we have some incense, tarot cards, a ton more coming.”
Some upcoming events include the Kent Flea Market on September 14, The Harvest Moon Makers Market on September 21 in Medina, Ohio, and the Spiritual Fair and Makers Market in Acorn Alley on September 22.
The store is open six days a week excluding Tuesdays, and is already becoming a staple for locals and visitors alike.
