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Supplied / RNZ Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern wore the earrings at a Covid-19 briefing on April 14.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.
Minister Jacinda Ardern’s feather earring fashion statement at a recent press conference has seen increased demand for recycled jewelry.
A fledgling company in the far north is now considering hiring staff to meet demand, and the Auckland-based artist behind the earrings has seen its supplies run out several times.
The surge in sales comes after Ardern raised his eyebrows when he attended a Covid-19 press conference on April 14 with long black “feather” earrings.
He received some criticism on social media for presenting himself inappropriately, while others congratulated themselves for shaking off the jewelry, made from reused bicycle tires.
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Supplied / RNZ
Auckland-based artist and graphic designer Ronja Schipper, who recycled Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s earrings.
Many fans went online and talked to their wallets.
That led artist Ronja Schipper, who made the Ardern earrings, to post on Facebook to let people know that the products featured at her online store Felt re: Purpose sold six times in 48 hours, leaving her with large orders that comply.
“A friend called me on Waitangi day to tell me that she had been seen wearing my earrings,” she told RNZ. “I can’t be 100 percent sure they were mine. Then another friend texted me to tell me about the press conference and it’s been crazy ever since.”
The Auckland-based graphic designer said it was great to see Ardern make a statement defending a reused artwork and creating a greater environmental appreciation in doing so.
The Munich native has been reusing material for five years.
“It was never a business, originally it was just a statement about the discrepancy in the relationship with our resources,” he said.
Supplied / RNZ
O Te Motu feather earrings include a custom karakia.
“It started with me wearing the recycled earrings as I took the kids to school and friends asking where I got them. It grew from there. I now offer 12 galleries across the country.”
To fulfill the requests, he asked for the help of his partner and even his neighbors, who obtained additional internal bicycle tubes when the materials became scarce.
With clients of his graphic design firm Bureau55 struggling to survive, he said that the secondary business could become a means of weathering the financial storm surrounding the world.
“I could never do 100 orders a day; I don’t want to disappoint people trying to keep up with demand and make them wait too long, and it was never just about the money.
His business was not the only one to benefit from the Jacinda effect amid the economic pessimism of the Covid-19 shutdown.
Hundreds more ended up flooding a small business in the far north with inquiries seeking to buy similar-style recycled earrings.
Hokianga-based director of O Te Motu Creations Haley Lowe said they also left her alone. Ardern had also worn his earrings before.
The Kohukohu resident had been constantly supplying 26 galleries across the country and a store in Rarotonga, after establishing her creative business two years ago.
However, after posting on Facebook’s NZ product page, created to give creative companies a chance to trade during Covid-19’s restrictions, interest in earrings became overwhelming.
“Jacinda’s appearance with the earrings and the launch of the NZ product page coincided and we benefited from that,” he said.
“We didn’t have a website, so we posted on the page and received 80 requests overnight, along with about 600 inquiries.”
Knowing that the company was struggling to respond to the lawsuit, Kimi Johnson, a Kaiuku-based business associate, approached Lowe and offered to set up a free website.
Supplied / RNZ
O Te Motu Creations boss Haley Lowe, who runs his business from Kohukohu in Hokianga.
“The fact that Kimi stepped in to help shows how this Covid-19 crisis has brought us closer together, creating opportunities for people to help each other,” Lowe said.
The website was up and running on Sunday, drawing more interest.
“When the website launched, we had our first order in 15 seconds. We now have another 120 orders to fulfill,” he said.
“It looks like we need to hire someone locally to help us meet demand.”
Originally from Auckland, Lowe and her partner moved to Hokianga two years ago, and the business evolved from a period when she was studying at home for her 8-year-old daughter Mereana-Wairua. The couple began to reuse bicycle parts.
It wasn’t until Lowe started using Auckland WE Accounting counters 18 months ago that he became a viable business model.
“They understand our kaupapa, we share the same values and the vision of working together,” he said.
Lowe, who is a descendant of Ngāi Tūhoe and Ngāti Raukawa, said his earrings were sent to people with a custom karakia that reflects the brand’s values: caring for the land, people, and moving on.
“Although we operate a business to make money for ourselves, it is powered by kaupapa,” he said.
“All proceeds from our stocks in Rarotonga go to the Te Ipukarea Society environmental group there.
“We also support Kohanga Reo and Manawatu Manaaki Tangata, Maori men living with cancer.”
Her daughter wrote to Ardern thanking her for her leadership and the letter will include a pair of Huia feathers as a gift, which will be passed on to her through a mutual acquaintance.
It is not the first time that Ardern has caused an increase in earring sales. In April 2018, she wore two pairs of earrings from New Zealand jeweler Meadowlark on a trip to Europe for a Commonwealth Heads of State meeting.
Meadowlark told the media that he had seen an increase in sales traffic afterward.
This story was originally published on RNZ.co.nz and is republished with permission.
