Creative Business: Rococo Kitsch Helps Fund Human Rights Movements

Written by: Jevon Armstrong

Supporting small businesses is what we are here for, and we were over the moon when we found Rococo Kitsch. Rococo Kitsch is a small business that offers handmade earrings, primarily polymer clay, as her chosen medium.

Starting her one-person operation in June of 2020, Alice has used her platform to raise money for Black liberation organizations in the wake of recent events surrounding the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and

Tony McDade, among countless others. Leveraging her quarantine hobby, she has raised over $1400 for Minnesota Freedom Fund, Black Visions Collective, Chicago Community Bond Fund, and Brave Space Alliance.

While the Covid-19 pandemic has put a damper on many things in 2020, it hasn't knocked Alice down. Since losing her day job, she raised funds to support herself and the causes that she believes in. Not having any employees to pay or a physical storefront helps to keep costs low and allows Alice to donate 10% of her sales to these organizations that she cares so much about. "The mission of Rococo Kitsch is to uplift BIPOC, and LGBTQ causes fighting for liberation through the sale of inclusive, playful, and vibrant statement jewelry."

For other small business owners during this tough time, Alice tells us, "I was so cheered to see how eager people were to purchase my jewelry in June while I was giving 100% of sales to bond funds and racial justice organizations. I established a sustainable giving model when I launched the brand officially in July, and encourage white makers, in particular, to think critically about how they can build reparations into their business model."

Adversity and doubt have hit us all at some point in our lives, using this time to be creative has become a great outlet and can help us and many around us. Rococo Kitsch attributes her success to the makers that had come before her and held the door open. Giving credit to 31 Suns Studio for creating "an amazing community for polymer clay artists through her Patreon, and I attribute massive improvements to my craft and approach to business to her and the people around her!"

Within the next year Alice hopes to launch her own website and domain to establish Rococo Kitsch as an LLC. Rococo Kitsch can be found on Etsy, Instagram, and Facebook.