Kearny woman takes scrunchie business to Instagram | Spotlight
When lockdown first began in 2020 at the height of the pandemic, Erin Mortara was in the same shoes as everyone else: stuck at home, bored, and sick of watching TV. But help soon came from an unexpected source: her sewing machine.
Like everyone else, Mortara had time on her hands after being out of work. With not much experience in designing clothes or fashion, she began looking up simple things to make with her sewing machine. She began focusing on her love for a particular 90s throwback accessory known as the scrunchie.
Originally from Verona, Mortara has spent the last year as a resident of Kearny. With a love of making things for people to wear and the scrunchie as her business inspiration, Mortara began developing more of these 90s throwbacks. She sources her materials from local thrift shops and curb alerts, social media pages where people post unwanted items for other neighbors to take for free.
Many people lost their jobs during the pandemic and then turned to doing certain things they loved. Some, like Mortara, turned those activities into a business they can do out of their own home.
“When the pandemic hit, I noticed a lot of new businesses pop up on social media and they said the same thing: ‘I started it during the pandemic,’” says Mortara. “A lot of them have become such a success that people have been able to quit their current jobs and focus on their craft.”
Mortara took to social media to promote her new “Auntie Ern” designs and now has up to 2,000 followers on Instagram, sales through social media, and is making a presence at local vendor markets. She’s even been able to get her scrunchies into the hands of several micro influencers to promote her brand on social media. Among those who have her scrunchies is actress Kiki Palmer.
“I had noticed her on social media, and she was talking about how much she loved scrunchies,” she says. “I reached out to her and asked ‘hey, you want some of mine?’ and she responded to me, so I sent her some. I used to watch her on TV all the time when I was younger and for her to show off what I sent her was so cool.”
Mortara used to work in public relations for Freeman PR but lost her job when the pandemic forced the U.S. into lockdown. She has been working as grant writer for the Main Street Counseling Center, a non-profit in West Orange, since February, 2021.
Through her “Auntie Ern” page, Mortara has been able to bring a second life to old products, creating something new that is fun to wear while promoting sustainability.
“I try to upcycle as much as I can,” she says. “Even when left with scraps, I try to make mismatched scrunchies using two fabrics. So far, all my thread has been thrifted and I use tissue paper from other gifts and purchases as filler in the packaging.”
The most popular design for Mortara’s scrunchies features mushrooms with ladybugs, along with some floral patterns as well. She also hopes to start sewing designs on the covers of journals too. She’ll be a vendor at the upcoming Flower Power Flea Market in Pompton Lakes on May 15 at the Elks Lodge. Her scrunchies can be found on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/auntieernoriginals/?hl=en.
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