As soon as the texts started rolling in Monday evening, Chari Cuthbert knew she was on the cusp of the biggest moment of her career.”I was at my office, and I just sat there as my phone was going crazy, and I started to cry, ” Cuthbert told CNN of the moment it sank in that Michelle Obama was wearing her design — a gold necklace with the letters V-O-T-E — while giving her Democratic National Convention speech. The necklace is Cuthbert’s creation, part of her small, boutique jewelry line, based in Los Angeles, called BYCHARI. Since 2012, she has designed and produced custom pieces, with website orders coming mostly via word of mouth, social media and a handful of A-list influencers who support her mission. The business was already picking up steam and Cuthbert had increased her staff, from two to five and now eight. But a visual endorsement from a style icon like the former first lady has skyrocketed sales. Cuthbert said that about 12 hours after Obama’s speech on Monday night, orders for the VOTE necklace, which retails for approximately $300, were already hovering near 2, 000. She noted that each piece is custom-made, with production turnaround time typically about three to four weeks, but she made ”frantic” calls late last night to some of her suppliers in anticipation of the rush of orders, and she’s hoping she and her small team can start to turn necklaces as quickly as two weeks. On Tuesday morning a dedicated page appeared on the BYCHARI website for ordering the VOTE necklace. Meredith Koop, Obama’s stylist for the last decade, told CNN the necklace wasn’t just part of Obama’s outfit — it was the impetus for her entire look.”I built all of the outfit options I offered to Obama around the necklace. When I commissioned it, I knew it had to be the centerpiece, ” Koop said. She admitted she was mildly worried Obama might find the necklace too obvious, but the former first lady liked the idea of the lettering. ”When the speech started, you had to squint a little to read it. I love that. It pulled the viewer in. ”Obama’s necklace was crafted the day after Koop direct-messaged Cuthbert on Instagram, out of the blue, in late July. The two had never previously met, nor had they worked together, yet Koop had taken note of Cuthbert’s designs on social media. Cuthbert had made a limited supply of VOTE necklaces for herself and friends in 2016, and in 2018 to raise awareness about the primaries, and she intended to do so again in anticipation of 2020’s presidential election. The timing of Koop’s request was fortuitous.”I try to keep politics and business separate, ” Cuthbert saud, ”but in these times, with what’s happening in the world, I felt like I needed to use my platform. So when Meredith reached out we knew how important it was to do this, and do it now. ”Cuthbert is in her mid-30s, Black and one of millions of small business owners and entrepreneurs following their passions, and waiting for a big break, for which she is now ready.
The World Health Organization says the United States could become the new epicenter of the coronavirus.
The country is reporting more than 53,000 cases and counting, a day after the death toll jumped by more than a hundred in a single day. Despite the staggering numbers, President Trump wants the U.S. “opened up” in just a few weeks, by Easter.
Watch CGTN LIVE on your computer, tablet or mobile
http://america.cgtn.com/livenews
Subscribe to CGTN America on YouTube
Follow CGTN America:
Twitter: @cgtnamerica
Facebook: @cgtnamerica
Instagram: @cgtnamerica
TikTok: @cgtnamerica
