IN ASSOCIATION WITH
30 FEATURE
22 JULY 2021
Chunkydory Jewellery BY MICAELA BLITZ Dani Wiseman has always loved fashion. From a young age, she enjoyed customising her clothes and would often take apart pieces of jewellery and add beads to create her own unique pieces. After completing a fashion marketing degree at Huddersfield University, she was all set for a marketing career, but after a job interview with a big London agency, she decided it was the perfect opportunity to turn her passion into a business. “When I left the interview, it made me realise that marketing was not where my heart was, and that I wanted to follow my real love of fashion and jewellery, so I decided to set up my own business and Chunkydory Jewellery was born. I think that if it had not been for that interview, I may never have taken the plunge!” That was more than 28 years ago, and throughout her career, Dani has used her marketing skills to help promote her business. Her first magazine shoot was for Vogue, which was an impressive start, and since then she has been featured in many magazines and on television programmes too. She started off by selling her own designs at parties, festivals and charity events and even managed to get her stuff into some shops. Dani would also regularly visit large offices, where she would set up a stand so that employees could come and buy in their lunch hour. Since Covid, a lot of this has not been possible, so she has been developing her new website, www.chunkydory.net, as a way to show-
case her products to a wider audience. Chunkydory Jewellery offers customers a wide range of ‘funky, fabulous and affordable jewellery’ such as bracelets, necklaces, earrings, and rings. Dani updates the website regularly with new and interesting pieces like her personalised sterling silver name necklaces which are very popular for batmitzvah and birthday gifts. As well as selling jewellery through her website, Facebook and Instagram, Dani runs private jewellery parties where she comes to people’s houses and gardens and sets up her collection. The ‘hostess’ of each party receives 10% commission to spend on jewellery on the day. These ‘hostesses’ then get friends and family together for a fun evening where people can try the jewellery and find something that they love. For Dani, these parties have always been a very successful part of her business, but since Covid she has had to find different methods to continue with these. “Finding another way to hold the house parties was a bit of a challenge during lockdown, but we were able to adapt to it by holding the parties virtually. Friends could get together via Zoom or What’sApp, and
Hosting a party is a great way to bring your friends together for a fun evening, and shop in the convenience of your own home. everyone could join in from the comfort of their own homes whilst keeping to social distancing rules. They worked really well and were very popular and are continuing even now.” Dani is always happy to speak to people who might be interested in organising a party especially with the imminent restrictions being lifted. Hosting a party is a great way to bring your friends together for a fun evening, and shop in the convenience of your own home. Earlier this year, when restrictions started to be lifted, Dani held her first garden party at her home under her trusty purple gazebo. Over a period of five hours, groups of up to 6 guests could come to her home within an allotted hour time slot and see all the products on display. It was a great success, and everyone that attended really enjoyed it. Dani has now started doing her public events again and is regularly selling her Chunkydory Jewellery across North London and
Dani Wiseman
Hertfordshire. Dani will also be taking her purple gazebo to other gardens so that she can bring her products to other groups of friends and families. Bookings for both house and garden parties can be made from 19th July by contacting Dani on 07866 627170 or emailing dani@chunkydory.net To find out more about the products available - visit www.chunkydory.net
If you are a businesswoman and would like to tell us more about your business, please contact Micaela micaela@thejewishweekly.com THEJEWISHWEEKLY.COM
