OK, all puns aside, the 20-year Lee’s Summit resident and creatively-driven accessory-aficionado has been creating fashionable accessories since her first patent was obtained in 2010.
Over that decade and into 2018 - when she formally started her company, Heartware Magnetic - Demark’s shoe clips became the must-have accessory for all ages and styles.
During her “previous life” as a buyer for accessories and footwear, Demark says she always loved vintage items and shoe clips. And through rigorous testing, she perfected her craft.
“I was trying to stay a little more sustainable and create something that I could wear on my own shoes,” Demark said. “Then I came up with the idea of the magnetic component. Through trial and error, I came up with the correct formula to create clips that wouldn’t fall off.”
Sensible spending was the catalyst to crystallizing her ideas, too.
“It wasn’t realistic for me to have a pair of shoes for every outfit, so I decided to work on creating ornaments to customize my own footwear and not have to purchase a pair of shoes for every ensemble,” she said.
As her shoe clips soared into the accessorizing stratosphere, Demark began to expand her horizons.
“I would see people wearing them all over and it started to open my eyes to all the applications,” Demark began, “wearing it on their scarves, in addition to footwear, and really wear this any which way but loose - hats, scarves, lapels.”
And, while it’s one thing to work your company up to essential-accessory phenom, when a major hit show starts featuring your work - well, that’s next-level.
The CBS drama ‘Elsbeth’ began displaying broaches made by Demark - much to her surprise. So she reached out to the show’s costume designer and sent a line sheet of potential options to appear in the upcoming third season.
“I watched the show, I knew the characters, and I love vintage and knew I could create some one-of-a-kind pieces,” Demark said, adding that CBS ultimately selected around 30 units from a small catalog she created.
It will almost be like Demark is going to walk the red carpet herself come Oct. 12 - the Season 3 premiere of ‘Elsbeth.’
“The season premiere will be my premiere,” she said. ‘I’ll get to see my product every week on CBS. That’s beyond exciting.”
A truly entrepreneurial success story, Demark and Heartware can be found online at holiday markets around Kansas City.
“I love to network with my fellow creators, we get together quite often to discuss where we are with certain levels of our business,” she said. “I love it when you can find other women who share in that spirit. We are here to root each other on and help each other. We share ideas about markets and other information on a weekly basis. It’s wonderful when you find your community as a small business owner. It’s nice to know you have like-minded people on your side.”
Find Heartware at myheartware.com, on Instagram @heartwaremagnetic and Clothes Mentor in Lee's Summit.
I was trying to stay a little more sustainable and create something that I could wear on my own shoes,” Demark said. "Through trial and error, I came up with the correct formula to create clips that wouldn’t fall off.”