BYUH student Fenua Aiu and his mother share about their journey beginning a jewelry business in Hawaii
Fenua Aiu and his mother Cindy Sagarese said their jewelry business is different from others because they express their love for their culture through the products they make and sell. They said jewelry in general is important because it enhances the beauty of the person who has it. Aiu, a sophomore majoring in business management from Kahuku, said, “It’s the cherry on top, the icing on the cake, the silver lining.”
Set apart from the competition
Their personal relationship as mother and son makes them different from their competitors, said Sagarese, Aiu’s mother and a businesswoman from Kahuku. She also said they make their jewelry for an affordable price. “It is luxury out of an affordable price and it completely makes us competitive.” She shared Aiu creating and designing jewelry as a man is one of the company’s advantages. Sagarese said, “I think it is really nice, especially because then he can ask directly from women like me, his sister or his friends.” She continued, “They give him ideas, then he is able to create based on how he feels he would make someone feel from a man’s perspective.”
Another special thing about their jewelry is it is handmade, said Sagarese. “It is not a machine that made it, He literally put his hands on it and touched it and hammered it... That is so special to me.” She explained how their jewelry can last for a long time.
She said, “Fenua’s pieces will last you forever because of the types of materials he chooses. Of course, you have to take care of it. You can’t expect it to last forever, but for the most part, if you take care of your pieces they last forever.” She said it is an investment of love for oneself and for their loved ones.
Sagarese expressed her thoughts about students who are planning to start a business. She said, “If you have a dream or a goal, don’t be afraid to go for it.”
She continued, “Take that chance, take that slot, and even if there are struggles along the way or even if it’s difficult, that is what’s going to make you figure it out and become successful.”
Sagarese shared, “I had struggles in my other businesses to get to where I am, and now I’m able to bless people like my son and be able to mentor him.”
Sagarese encouraged everyone to go for their dreams. She said, “If you have a dream or a goal, business or not, you should go for it. Jump in. You’re not alone. Someone will help you, especially when you seek that help and never give up.”
A family story
Aiu said he and his mom started their jewelry business together. He said, “It first came from just an idea that came from my mom.” He added, “She wanted jewelry for her and for her friends… but none of them really felt right. So she was like, ‘What if we make it ourselves?’”
Aiu recalled the experience of how they began the business. “We had a lot of trial and error,” he said. “Bangles are the first thing we started off with.” He also said after he learned how to make some jewelry and was surprised with the outcome, he his mom encouraged him to building a business.
He said, “I went for it and little by little. I started adding pieces, different requests, different designs. From there, we kind of had Fenua Designs.” Aiu said he gets his inspiration from Tahitian pearls and various Polynesian islands.
Sagarese said her previous entrepreneurial experiences helped her know how to start businesses and allowed her to guide Fenua in starting his. She explained that love for their culture and an understanding of the demand for jewelry influenced the beginning of Fenua Designs, saying, “We love our culture, and I knew that the type of jewelry I wanted him to make me is also the jewelry that other women and also men who want to buy for their girlfriend or spouse would want. I saw a need and that is what led us to meet the demand because people love it.”
Aiu explained why his pieces are different compared to products made by other jewelry businesses. He said, “Fenua Design is very specific. It’s a very different style.”
He said he would still make jewelry, even if he didn’t make any money. “When I bring the pieces to people, I love seeing how happy they are. I love making people happy [and] just sharing the happiness or the light of Christ,” he said.
Aiu said his favorite piece right now is the one he created for his co-worker, which he described as a spiral ring with two Tahitian pearls. Though it is not yet released, he said it was the hardest one he has done so far. “It took me a while to try and figure out how to do it... [but] it turned out really good.”
The importance of jewelry
Sagarese explained, “What I love the most about jewelry is how it makes you feel.” She continued, “It fulfills a feeling that you can take pride in.”
Sagarese shared her thoughts about the importance of jewelry in the fashion industry. “They are called accessories. They enhance whatever you are wearing… . It dresses you up,” she said. “That’s what it does for fashion. It makes it more special than it already is.”
Kesaia Loleka Kawenalani Pululole Rachel Bourne, a sophomore from New Zealand majoring in elementary education, said she loves how jewelry brings everything together and emphasizes everything.
She said, “For me, I love wearing statement earrings and I just feel like that’s what makes me, me.”
Bourne said fashion is an art. She shared, “It’s everything combined. It’s everything that you put together.” She also said she loves wearing jewelry because it is a way for her to express her personality. “I want to portray myself that I am confident with my style.”
Bourne loves anything that has a flare or flowy style, she said, and is inspired by the ‘70s. She also explained she wants her style to be infused with both her Hawaiian and Tongan cultures.
Bourne said she began her own jewelry business two months ago and hopes to eventually move into clothing. She said, “I came from a family of entrepreneurs and educators. It’s always been a dream to have my own business. I can share my passion, my art, my style and express it in my way.” She also said she loves her style so much that she wants to share it with people. “This is what I created and I would love other people to wear my designs and feel what I feel when I dress up.”