Tiare Kumar is a young woman in business.
The 22-year-old makes and sells earrings.
She said she was inspired by the beautiful work of Margaret Seruvatu, the woman behind the Venami Clay brand.
A student at the University of the South Pacific, Tiare ventured into the business during her spare time amid COVID-19 restrictions.
She said she juggled online learning and starting the business in the hopes to make money on the side.
She spent hours without end putting pieces together, creating her own signature product.
Her brand name ‘A Beautiful Mess’ came about after an internet search.
“My name is Tiare Kumar and these are my earrings and it’s all a beautiful mess,” she said
“There were a few suggestions that came in, and I looked through the internet for what business name I should use. The one that actually spoke to me was related to how our lives are. Each and every day we try to achieve a goal during the day or end of the week – the struggles we go through, and the messy part of it.”
Tiare said she decided it was better to have a name that reflected on the realities of life rather making everything sound perfect.
“When we come to the end of a long day and we reach home after working hard we’re all tired, our clothes might be a little wrinkled but we got the job done and yes, even though we may look like a bit of a mess we are all still beautiful.
“I balanced studies, creating pieces, and then trying to sell them was a challenge and the outbreak of the delta variant affecting my fledgling business. The outbreak meant no more market days and I was reliant on my online platforms. I also had to manage my time and really get serious with marketing and getting the product out there.
“It was quite a challenge but at the end of the day I have learned a lot in terms of how to hustle with your daily life and struggles.”
Tiare is now one of 37 artisans and micro business owners who now have a foothold in Suva’s shopping district and a place to get their products out to potential customers in Duatani Fiji.
The sustainable, affordable, ecofriendly fashion label from Nadi opened its flagship store at 178 Victoria Pde, Suva on October 30.
“I’m hoping I will be able to generate more sales now that I have a physical presence here at Duatani Fiji and I hope people turn out to check the work of all the artisans who are vendors here at Duatani.”
Tiare thanked her parents, grandparents, and friends Rodger and Ruth for the never-ending support throughout the formation and early days of starting her business all the way until the present.
