the locket sisters
timeless charm
How two sisters revived an iconic memento- the locket. Inside Allyssa’s niche jewelry business.
the photos
The Woodford sisters were creatives since birth- and unafraid of the unknown.
When Allyssa moved back home to Minnepolis as a first time mom, she was ready to begin again. Starting a photography business with her younger sister was undaunting- despite having no previous experience in the field. “People really gave us a chance anyway,” Allyssa recalls. She credits this to her incredible community in Minnesota.
Alongside the business, Allysa’s older sister, Amy, was a supermodel. She traveled frequently and was searching for a locket to remind her of home and her Minnesota roots. “We should offer these to clients,” Amy suggested.
the lockets
There was an overwhelmingly positive reception when the Woodford sisters expanded into lockets. Clients were enhancing their standard print packages with this sentimental keepsake- and it differentiated Allyssa and Amy in the crowded photography market.
They officially expanded into lockets by 2017, thus the formation of The Locket Sisters.
Pictured: The Roxie Belle Locket. In memory of Roxie, 10% of proceeds go to Meow Meow Foundation to prevent child drownings.
the stories
“People share so many stories with us about the lockets,” Allyssa explains. (Amy officially left the business in 2020, but still models for TLS and is an avid supporter.) “I feel like we’re a medium for people. But it’s their story and their photograph, we’re just here to hold that.”
"It’s pictures of me and my big brother. One of us when we were young and the other from my high school graduation. He passed away in 2016 and I miss him so much. I want to have something to remember him by that I can have close to my heart everyday. He deserves to be remembered."
“This was the first big adventure we went on as a family, the kids were finally old enough to take care of their own luggage and we just had the most fun journeying through Europe by train. This was a rainy December morning in Amsterdam and this picture just evokes such magic from our time there."
"For my sister. It’s her 40th bday in June. These are her 3 kids. The oldest battles mental health issues and doesn’t live with them. My sister always is drawn to the word “hope” like the name of this necklace as it’s so hard to not be with her oldest daughter."
"For my grandmother, Marlene. My father recently passed away. He was 63 years old and perfectly healthy. Then we got sick with COVID and he spent 22 days in the ICU and never recovered. Im making this locket for his mother. It’s his high school graduation photo and then a recent photo of the two of us."
the namesake
Many popular locket styles are named after influential people in Allyssa’s life. You can’t go wrong with any of these bestsellers…
the penny
For Allyssa’s daughter, who would lend her locket to homesick classmates at preschool drop off to bring comfort and peace. Their most popular locket.
the walter
For Allyssa’s son, nicknamed, “Little Mr. Empathy” by his first grade teacher and “The Mayor of Minneapolis” by friends and family. Beyond his years. A charismatic lovebug. The locket keychain.
the dorothy
“My mom’s best friend,” Alyssa explains. “She shows up, always. She has a huge laugh, a dry sense of humor, a warm interest in whoever she's talking with. She volunteers, she gets creative in the kitchen, she gave a kidney to her husband, she has her own career, she gardens, she loves so hard. One day, during an intense health emergency with our Mom, I called her and said ‘Dorothy we need your help’ and she'd already made meals and was on her way before I'd even called. She's an incredible woman.” The square locket.
the edith
Named for Allyssa’s best friend, who grew up on Edith Street. “I spent so much time at her family's house, swimming in their pool, watching movies in their basement, eating all of their Girl Scout Thin Mints and leftover lasagna…”
She was Allyssa’s maid of honor and is still one of her dearest friends. The circle locket.
the team
Since Amy left the business in 2020, it’s been very liberating and enlightening for Allyssa to run The Locket Sisters on her own. “It’s always been my baby,” she realized. “The work is flexible but dense. I get to work in my studio and be in a creative space and still have time for my family and kids.”
Mandy joined the team a couple years back, and she assists Allyssa operationally. “She’s a very thoughtful person- she gets the human side of it and allows herself to be moved by the stories.”
the growing
“I never had examples of women giving a damn about their career,” Allyssa reflects. The community has been amazing- and she accredits a majority of her growth to word of mouth and the supportiveness of the Minneapolis community.
In the last year or so they’ve expanded more into digital advertising, but for Allyssa it’s all about controlled growth. “I recognize that there’s a platter waiting for me and whenever I want to take a big bite out of it, I can.”
the reflecting
The last two years have been particularly formative for The Locket Sisters. For Allyssa, living in the neighborhood where George Floyd was murdered, while simultaneously running a business that transcends all demographics and walks of life has been revelatory.
“Being in the epicenter of the violence and reverberation of the shifts after..” Allyssa pauses. “Covid was a revealer. For many people it was something that could take your life away. For others it’s something out in the abyss that shifted your whole world.”
We are all united in our grief, in our triumphs and in our milestones. The poignant, heartbreaking and raw events that changed the way that we view the world and one another. The handwritten thank you notes that Allyssa sends with every order feels more important than ever- affirming her customers that they are seen, heard and felt. The trust that they place in her in sharing their stories and bearing their vulnerability- she does not take for granted.
