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When Michelle Obama’s stylist called Chari Cuthbert a few weeks ago to order a personalized necklace with charms spelling out the word VOTE, the designer was elated.
“But we had no idea where she was going to wear it,” Cuthbert told The Daily Beast. “We just knew she wanted it.
It wasn’t until Monday afternoon that Cuthbert learned that the former first lady was wearing the $ 430 ByChari gold chain – a literal statement necklace – for her speech at the Democratic National Convention.
“There was a clip of his DNC talk on CNN and my mom sent it to me,” Cuthbert said. “I couldn’t believe it. Out of respect, I didn’t post it or anything, because I didn’t want to enjoy it.
Hours later, as Cuthbert watched the convention, his phone started to explode. People tagged her on social media and called her to ask if Obama was sporting any of the designs.
“Michelle obama! If you’re talking about your ideal guest, she’s for me. And to see her wearing my necklace, it’s crazy.“
– Chari Cuthbert
“It was surreal,” she says. “I sat down at my desk and cried.
“Michelle obama! If you’re talking about your ideal guest, she’s for me. And to see her wearing my necklace, it’s insane,” said the designer, choking.
Cuthbert said her company – which consists of five female employees – saw what she humbly called “a significant increase in sales” within an hour of the speech.
“My finance guy just sent me a bunch of exclamation marks, so I guess that’s a good thing,” she says. “He said, I’m so happy for you, that’s all you worked for.
Cuthbert, 36, was born in Miami to Jamaican parents. In 2012, the self-taught artist quit his office job and moved to Hawaii with $ 100 to start his business. Four years later, she moved to Los Angeles.
It was 2016. Cuthbert said she generally avoids mixing politics and business, but decided to create a VOTE necklace and post it on ByChari’s Instagram page.
Cuthbert isn’t sure if Obama or his stylist saw it then or just came up with the idea for a VOTE necklace on their own this time around. What they certainly didn’t know was that Cuthbert intended to use the VOTE necklace to promote political activism and was in the process of making a bunch of it for celebrities to wear ahead of the election.
“I’m wearing mine right now,” she said.
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