In Like Flynn Bangor natives fashion a career out of classic jewelry that sets trends

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Nearly two decades ago, a photo of Megan and Moria Flynn appeared in the Bangor Daily News. They were modeling, as the caption read, “the very latest fashion in jewelry,” which at the time were plastic charm necklaces that made Mr. T’s choice in neckwear look subtle by comparison.

On a recent visit to their hometown of Bangor, the sisters, now all grown up, were looking equally stylish, albeit more understated, in jewelry of their own design. On Moria, a pair of delicate gold filigree earrings; on Megan, a multistrand necklace of purple jade beads adorned with sparkling Swarovski crystals.

“We’re always coming up with new stuff,” Megan Flynn, now 30, said. “We follow the latest trends, but we try to keep it classic. People like us are interested in the latest stuff, but not like New York trendsetters.”

Still, the former Bangor trendsetters are making waves with their M. Flynn line of accessories. Their beaded semiprecious bracelets, bejeweled chandelier earrings, and vintage pearl necklaces are at once substantial and ultrafeminine – and fashion editors are taking notice.

The Flynns, who now call Boston home, have appeared on the pages of Lucky magazine, Boston magazine, The Boston Herald and The Boston Globe, and Entertainment Weekly recently included their designs in the EW Must List gift bag, which was distributed to 40 A-list celebrities, including Jessica Simpson.

“Whether or not they wear them is another story,” Megan said.

“Please, Cameron Diaz!” Moria pleaded, laughing and clasping her hands together in prayer. “You don’t know what this would mean.”

The Flynns do know what it would mean. If, say, J.Lo wore a pair of M. Flynn earrings to a high-profile event, they would suddenly be the “it” earrings to have. Such recognition would push their already thriving business to the next level, a move they’re poised to take.

“We’d really like to be a well-known, national brand, that’s all,” Moria said wryly.

Not bad for a couple sisters from Bangor who grew up raiding their grandmother Avis Flynn’s jewelry box, wearing charm necklaces and making friendship pins (their dad, Bob, still has one of them hanging from the laces of his tennis shoes).

“We’ve always been into making jewelry,” Moria said.

“We did it all through college,” Megan added.

It all started when they were quite young, during the long winters in Bangor and the short, sweet summers on their parents’ boat and at their summer home in Northeast Harbor.

“Growing up in Maine, we didn’t have cable,” Moria said. “We had WABI and that was it. We’d go out on the boat and we’d have to find creative ways of keeping ourselves busy.”

Neither realized that her hobby would turn into a career, and a successful one at that. After Moria graduated from Colby College, she headed to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to work for Fleet Bank. When the Argentinian economy crashed, she headed back to Maine in 2002 for a summer to regroup. Megan also was home, preparing for graduate work at Northwestern University.

“We were both home at the same time, in Bangor and Northeast Harbor, and we started our old habit,” Megan said.

But Megan went off to school and Moria started applying for jobs in Boston. When she got an offer from Digitas, a global marketing firm, she realized all she really wanted to do was make jewelry. The human resources director at Digitas was disappointed at first, but then she asked Moria a question that validated her decision.

“If you don’t want the job, can we still come in and buy jewelry?”

The answer, of course, was, “Sure.” And from there, Moria got busy stringing beads and selling her wares at in-home parties – think Tupperware, with better accessories. When Megan graduated with her master’s degree, the duo made a real push to grow the business.

“She came at just the right time,” Moria said.

They moved from small trade shows to larger, juried events such as the ENK Accessories Circuit and AccessoriesTheShow in New York, which doubled their sales volume. They added on a few contract workers, and a publicist, Rae Bazzrre, liked their designs so much, she came on board, too.

“They’re great,” Bazzarre said.

As their business gained momentum, they moved their base of operations from an apartment to the South End Open Studios in Boston, which is full of artists and designers. They now share studio space and marketing resources with Laurie Weber Higginbotham and Rebecca Trachsel, who design colorful belts under the label Laurie Weber.

“It’s great for us as young businesswomen to get to know other designers,” Megan said.

The four entrepreneurs not only share studio space, but a design philosophy as well – classic with a twist.

“Our customer is a traditional person who also pays attention to trends and wants to make them fit her life,” Megan said. “Accessories make an outfit look unique.”

The Flynns’ designs are elegant and streamlined enough to appeal to baby boomers and beyond, yet funky enough to catch the attention of teenagers and twentysomethings.

“I think that our customer, she is all ages,” Megan said. “The boomers are really funny. They’ve kind of changed fashion. They really want to stay young. They really want to wear the same things their daughters are wearing.”

When they’re wearing M. Flynn jewelry- whether it’s a choker adorned with a chunky lucite flower or a delicate strand of freshwater pearls – moms can do that without looking like a fashion emergency.

“They’re not going to look flashy, they’re going to look nice,” Megan said.

Though their prices are more in keeping with a baby boomer’s budget – higher-end pieces in 14-karat gold fetch $600 at upscale shops – they recently introduced a line of earrings produced out-of-house that target a younger customer. At $50, they’re an affordable splurge.

“We’re always trying to keep something within reach for someone our age,” Moria said.

Though they tend to prefer trendier styles, the sisters design pieces that have a more enduring quality. Their accessories are stylish enough to look current, but classic enough to stay in fashion for several seasons.

The Flynns have what they call the “Kate Spade dream.” Ideally, their jewelry will become the gold standard for women who appreciate quality and classic workmanship, like Spade’s coveted handbags.

“That’s what I want for our jewelry,” Megan Flynn said. “Color and consistency – it’ll always look like M. Flynn.”

M. Flynn jewelry is available at The Romantic Room in Northeast Harbor and J.L. Coombs in Portland. For information, visit www.mflynnjewelry.com.