Somewhere amongst the crisp orange leaves and slumbering students that speckle the Quad lawn, Catharine Aiura spreads out her wool blanket; she posts colorful feathers on the sturdy trunk of the tree that shades her from the unseasonably warm sun. Then she waits.

For students hustling across the criss-crossed sidewalks, her handwritten sign is easy to read but not always as easily understood: Feather Hair Extensions.

“(Business) was a little slow in the beginning,” said Aiura, sophomore in DGS. “And it’s really funny cause the guys walk past and they’re just like what is that? What are you doing with feathers in your hair?”

The confusion is less prevalent within the female population, who has no doubt noticed the growing trend of feather hair extensions. Aiura brings that trend onto the Quad for students like Christine Antonio, sophomore in AHS, who appreciate both the accessibility and the lower prices of Aiura’s feather extensions.

Aiura said that she is usually on the Quad about twice a week between classes and loves her work — so much that she has considered doing it full time.

“I considered going to hair cutting school,” she said, “but I want to be a family counselor. I’d love to do this for a living though cause I’m just that artsy, creative, kind of wacky type of person.”

With about 12 feathers in her own hair, Aiura certainly is an expert in the practice. She said that the process requires about 10 minutes to braid the hair if needed, then only two minutes to actually attach the hair extension. The feathers she offers are primarily from emu and rooster tails, and they are attached to natural hair with a micro clasp. Silicone on the inside of the clasp grabs onto and protects the hair, while the outside metal part molds strongly enough to hold for about 3 months, Aiura said.

She provides feather choices within a wide variety of lengths, patterns, colors and prices that range from $5-$15, which is one of the things that has drawn so many girls to her business.

“A lot of people are scared at first to walk up,” she said, “but I think people are attracted to the convenience, because you don’t have to make an appointment.”

Sometimes, Aiura finds that people are lined up and she can’t get to them, but besides her sister — who works with her and whose hair Aiura originally experimented on — she has not hired anyone to help.

“I would want (an employee) to have the same mindset as me, because I have a really specific philosophy that I take towards fashion and style,” she said. “It means a lot more to me than what you look like. It’s an extension of the human person.”

Aiura promotes this beauty philosophy not only through feather hair extensions, but also through her small business called “Liberty Style,” which offers henna tattoos, personal styling consultations, haircuts, special occasion hair, makeup and clothing services and more, according to the Facebook page. She also does parties and sorority or dorm events.

No matter how much her business expands, however, Aiura focuses on the individual customer and, in the case of Joly Wu, almost makes them into walking advertisements.

“Everyone should get one!” said Wu, freshman in Business, after receiving extensions in two different sections of her hair.

Aiura sent her on her way with a smile and a reminder that if Wu brings three friends back with her, she will get a feather extension for free. This more business-focused aspect of her work satisfies Aiura for now, as her hobby thrives on it, but she envisions her future beauty ventures as more of a mixture of her counseling and beauty skills.

“Eventually maybe I’d like to fuse it with my counseling degree and get into body image, working with younger girls,” she said. “I’d love to do summer retreats for girls and teach them how to put on makeup and dress modestly but still look attractive and just tie it all in like that.”

No matter what her future holds, Aiura wants to continue to do feather hair extensions and work on “Liberty Style” because she believes in the importance of promoting her idea of beauty.

“A lot of times people say that to look attractive or pay attention to how you look is selfish or girly,” she said. “But there’s nothing wrong with it, you just have to understand the meaning behind it. It’s okay to look beautiful, but that’s because it reflects who you are.”