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Wed, 22 Apr 2026

Wed, 22 Apr 2026 How a pivot to hair accessories led to business success

Jenny Lennick's colourful hair clips are sold across the US and around the world.
San Francisco-based artist and entrepreneur Jenny Lennick has built a thriving retail business with her quirky, colourful hair claw clips made from plant-based materials. Her company, Jenny Lemons, is known for its food-themed accessories, with designs ranging from rainbow chard to TV dinners. The bestseller is a strawberry clip. Lennick's studio is located in her home, where she designs the products and sends the designs to her long-time factory in China. She chooses colours from a library of samples and aims to keep designs simple with fewer than three colours. Her style pares down food to its essentials, making them wearable and stylish. The company has three full-time staff members, including Lennick's husband as director of operations. Revenue reached $2m last year, up from $1.7m in 2024, and the business is profitable. About 60% of sales are wholesale, with the rest online. Industry experts say Jenny Lemons hits a "sweet spot" by offering food-inspired fashion at a giftable price point. Lorynn Divita, an associate professor of apparel design and merchandising at Baylor University, says the company's videos showcasing how to wear and style the clips are smart moves that appeal to customers who value sustainability. However, the business faces challenges such as Trump's tariffs on Chinese goods, which have forced Lennick to absorb costs rather than pass them on to customers. She also has to deal with knockoffs made by Chinese companies, which she has sued for copyright infringement. To grow her business, Lennick aims to expand her product line beyond hair clips and is in talks with a national home-goods chain about stocking its products. Brand collaborations are another area of growth, where Jenny Lemons might create special-edition hair clips for other companies' promotional campaigns. Despite the challenges, Lennick remains optimistic about her business's future, saying she's put in the work to get there and is proud of what she's achieved as a small business owner.