Three Generations Bring Smart Sassy Style to Shop
By D.J. MORROW INGRAM
Executive Editor
OVER THE TOP: This grandmother-mother-daughter team works together designing custom jewelry for their store in the Shops of Seville, Over the Top. From left are: Melissa Click, Kristy Umfleet and Phyllis Malin.
Growing up, many women fear the day they begin dressing like their mother. No so with the women of Over the Top, a fashion jewelry, accessory and home accent shop in The Shops of Seville at 101st and Sheridan. The three co-owners represent three generations of one family and each one admires and brags on the other’s fashion and jewelry sense.
“We love working together,” says Kristy Umfleet, who is mother to co-owner Melissa Click and daughter to co-owner Phyllis Malin. “We each bring our own tastes and style to the shop and find it all works together well.”
Malin owned a flower shop and was a floral designer for nearly 30 years in the Tulsa area where she honed her sense of color and texture. Her daughter, Umfleet, was the originator of Secret Gardens candles with her ex-husband where she also did silk floral design. Daughter/granddaughter Click was literally raised at Secret Gardens spending much of her childhood years among the aisles of the store.
As the three talk, their words tumble over each other’s, making them seem in many ways more like sisters or friends.
All have had retail experience, all love jewelry and accessories and all do custom jewelry that is sold in the shop.
“We all use the same basic principles to designing jewelry,” Malin says, “using the proper techniques and assembly. But we each have our own style.”
With three generations creating jewelry, the store offers a wide range of choices and most are one-of-a-kind.
“We rarely create identical pieces,” says Click. “That way a customer knows she won’t be staring at ‘twin’ jewelry when she is out. In some ways it makes each piece a work of art.”
The trio often wears their wares when they leave the store and they leave the price tags attached.
“It’s fun to have someone stop you at a restaurant or event to let you know you forgot to take the price tag off,” says Umfleet. “It gives us the perfect opportunity to tell them that not only did you leave it on on purpose, but that you or your mother or daughter designed the piece and it’s for sale!”
All say they have sold pieces instantly that way, removing the piece and handing it over to the surprised and happy customer.
For customers not wanting to “buy it off their back,” the women invite the customer to come to the store where they can custom design a piece to their customer’s specification.
“We do a lot of custom designing for prom,” Click says. “Young women will bring in their dress and we can work with them to create something beautiful and unique that actually becomes a keepsake.”
Malin says holidays also keep the three busy and they anticipate a flurry of activity with the approaching Mother’s Day holiday.
Over the Top offers a charming silver bracelet that spells out a name (or whatever the customer wants) in small block letters. The bracelets can be sized for any size wrist and is often used for Mother’s Day, christenings or birthdays. (They warn to order now for Mother’s Day!)
The shop also carries several lines of fashion jewelry, scarves, belts and purses along with some home décor.
“The Shops of Seville is a great place to shop for gifts for the special lady in your life,” Click says. “You can avoid the mall, parking is convenient, prices are good and you can grab a bite to eat when you’re finished shopping. No stress!”
All three go to market, keep “idea notebooks” and read constantly to keep up on the latest fashion trends. Malin and Click say Umfleet has a sixth sense when it comes to predicting trends.
“Because we are constantly designing and creating, there is always new and fresh merchandise,” says Umfleet. “If you were here last month you’ll see something new if you come in this month.”
Over the Top also does repair work on jewelry and can shorten or lengthen jewelry they make to fit the customer.
Over the Top is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday. The phone number is 918-296-5519.
Updated 04-29-2006
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