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
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