All About Michelle Obama’s ‘Vote’ Necklace And Where To Get It

There’s no denying that Michelle Obama wowed viewers when she appeared at the Democratic National Convention earlier this week. The former First Lady delivered a pointed and compelling speech about the future of our country and the importance of voting and did so while donning perhaps one of the chicest outfits of the decade paired with hoop earrings and a sweet necklace that spelled out the word “VOTE.”

While there’s a lot to take away from Obama’s message, particularly because our lives literally depend on it, fans haven’t been able to keep their eyes off of Obama’s “vote” necklace.

Obama’s necklace was designed by Chari Cuthbert for her line BYCHARI as part of her boutique jewelry line which is based in Los Angeles.

The Black designer has produced and designed custom pieces since 2012 and sold her designs via her website, word of mouth, social media, and a few influencers. According to Cuthbert, her business was already doing well pretty recently but sales for her designs skyrocketed this week thanks to a visual endorsement from Obama at the Democratic Convention. Cuthbert told CNN that 12 hours after Obama’s address on Monday night, almost 2,000 orders for her VOTE necklace came rolling in.

The necklace sells for $295.

“I was at my office, and I just sat there as my phone was going crazy, and I started to cry,” Cuthbert told CNN.

Obama’s stylist has said that the vote necklace inspired the writer’s entire look for the evening.

Meredith Koop who has worked as a stylist for Obama for the last decade told CNN, “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 When the speech started, you had to squint a little to read it. I love that. It pulled the viewer in.”

The VOTE necklace was crafted for Obama earlier this summer in July when Koop messaged Cuthbert on Instagram. The designer and stylist had never met or worked with Koop but found herself impressed by Cuthbert’s designs on social platforms like Instagram. Of course, this isn’t the first time Cuthbert has created the VOTE necklace. In 2016, she made a small supply of the necklaces for herself and friends. In 2018 she promoted the necklaces once again to raise awareness about the primaries.

“I try to keep politics and business separate,” Cuthbert told CNN, “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 a Black business owner who has been waiting for a break for her small business for some time.

Like millions of small business owners and entrepreneurs, she’s worked hard to pursue her dreams.

“I reached out to friends in the jewelry industry last night and this morning and have just said, ‘Um, I’m going to need some help,’ in the best possible sense,” Cuthbert explains. “This is it. This is the dream come true.”