Today we’d like to introduce you to Phoua Her.
Hi Phoua, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My fondest memories growing up were when I assisted my mother with preparing our traditional attire for the Hmong New Year Festival. During this time of the year, we would dress in the most vibrant and elaborate outfits and wear ornate, heirloom jewelry. My mother’s needlework and tailoring were impeccable, as she was one of the most talented seamstresses of her time. I wanted to be like her, so I would help my mother embroider traditional textile trims for our Hmong skirts. I would embroider and sew other garments–e.g., apron, sash, and lapels–to relieve my mother from the hassle of making everyone’s outfits. Even at that young age, I was pretty proud of my creations. As I grew older, life took me down a different path, and it would be another two decades before I found my way back to designing and crafting.
When I married in 1995, I moved to Minnesota to be with my husband, which was a shocking contrast to sunny San Diego. Life in Minnesota was lonely, and marriage was not what I had expected. I had no friends or family. It didn’t help that I was an introvert, so meeting people was extremely hard for me. With no support system, I found myself overwhelmed, anxious, and stressed. I needed to pour myself into something, anything. One day, my husband and I went shopping and stumbled onto a small booth that sold beautiful, retro-style jewelry. I instantly fell in love and bought my first 3 pieces of handmade jewelry, which inspired me to pursue the craft. After that, I did whatever I could to learn about the art and hone my skills. I later joined an online jewelry community to meet people and learn from others. While the networking didn’t work out like I wanted, I discovered I had a jewelry-making talent. I had no formal training in the art, and everything I learned was self-taught. I realized I had lost myself and stopped being ambitious while living as a wife, mother, and daughter-in-law. Jewelry-making has allowed me to create a space to think and reflect on my life. It ignited a passion I forgot I had, and I finally found a purpose and a sense of self.
I had spent so many years learning and creating jewelry as a hobby that I wanted to turn it into something worthwhile. In my youth, I had hoped to one day open a little shop and share all the beautiful things my culture had to offer with the world. I was mulling over this little dream for some time but feared venturing into the unknown. However, my sister deeply encouraged me to go through it, so I finally launched my online shop in 2015. With the slogan “Made for Her by Her” in mind, Exotic Creations by Her was born. It is an online Minnesota-based business that creates beautiful, unique statement jewelry pieces for the modern woman. The business lifted my spirit, helped me rediscover myself, and made me want more out of my life. Every event I participated in allowed me to connect with like-minded people; we would share our stories or ideas and inspire each other. Living became much more than being a mother, wife, and daughter-in-law.
It wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
In 2004, I wanted to open my online shop, but at the time, creating an online shop was expensive because online platforms for independent, small businesses didn’t exist as they do now. The price tag for creating a website was out of the question. The alternative was to sell at shows and events, which I was ready to do, but other priorities prevented me from doing so. I had just given birth to my third child, so I paused to start my own business to raise my son. Then I went on to have another two kids after him as well. Eleven years later, I finally launched my website in 2015. During this time, I was working full-time and raising my family. While everyone slept, I would spend long hours into the night creating and making jewelry, surviving on only 3 to 4 hours of sleep during the day. Three years of this schedule took a heavy toll on my body, so I left my job in 2018 to concentrate on my business full-time.
Nonetheless, crossing over to a new endeavor is never a smooth road. With no experience, some of the biggest challenges I faced initially were making sure the logistical side of things was in order and learning how to run a business properly. Eventually, everything fell into place, and I was able to establish myself. I strive to keep my pieces unique to my brand when I create. To achieve this, long, cumbersome hours are required to complete many of the pieces in my collection.
Consequently, this puts a lot of strain on my hands and limits my ability to work. Keeping enough inventory for my online shop and events became very difficult. But, no matter the hurdles, I try not to get discouraged and always manage to come through. To stay relevant, I knew I had to keep up with trends and whatever else was in vogue with my target audience while staying true to my brand. I aim to consistently improve my jewelry-making skills and push my craft to evolve with the industry. There’s no other way to move forward, which has motivated me to stay focused. My kids are older now, so I can enjoy my work and face the daily challenges as they come. Looking back, I will never forget where I was and how far I have come.
I appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am known for modernizing the Hmong Xauv (The Hmong Neck Piece), and one of my specialties is the wire-woven collar. The woven collar consisted of several wires held together with a thin gauge wire wrapped in a chevron pattern. The chevron pattern in my weaving represents the triangle applique used in the Green Hmong’s skirt patterns. When I first started my business, I aimed to sell wire-wrapped items, as that is the technique that I specialize in. With the suggestion of my husband, I opened a Facebook account. Unfortunately, it did not take long to realize that it wasn’t my niche. I reflected upon my initial inspiration for crafting traditional Hmong design.
In the past, the Hmong barely wore jewelry, and when they did, it was minimal because we were–and still are–an agricultural society. Our traditional jewelry is heavy, extravagant, and opulent. However, these beautiful statement pieces were treasured heirlooms and stored safely away for most of the year. They were reserved for wear only during the New Year celebration or other special occasions. This sentiment is still prevalent as the fine silver is too heavy for everyday wear.
I’d reconcile this by creating jewelry pieces that were exquisite and bold yet wearable for the working woman and her everyday life. My jewelry line would be made up of pieces that would pay homage to my Hmong heritage and the intricately beautiful motifs of our traditional textiles. From there, I designed and created pieces for my first line, which was quite a success. The rest, as they say, was history. I am proud to have created a trend and inspired a community with my jewelry because I know I did it first. I am a pioneer in my own right in modernizing and simplifying Hmong jewelry.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There is a small circle of great people in my life that I am incredibly grateful for. I truly appreciate my wonderful sister, who has been with me since day one. She stuck by me through everything, supported me during my highs and lows, and helped me navigate the obstacles that stood in my way. For that, I am forever grateful for her love and support. Lastly, of course, is my wonderful, supportive husband. He wears many hats in our household and is very involved with the business. He is the cook and caretaker of my family. He is the admin and delivery man behind-the-scenes driver. He is also the driver and set up crew for when we head to events. His love is unmeasurable, and I am eternally thankful to have the privilege of being his life partner.
Pricing:
- All of my pieces are handmade by me.
- Pricing is based on time and materials.
- I do accept custom orders.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.exoticcreationsbyher.com/
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/ExoticCreationsByHer
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/Xoticcreationsbyher
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/YajMim123
- Other: www.pinterest.com/ExoCreations
