I'thandi Munro brings art and entrepreneurship into harmony
While pursuing her undergraduate degree in 2009, I'thandi Munro developed her creative and artistic abilities — and discovered her calling for entrepreneurship.
Munro is a mixed Afro-Euro L’nu woman whose entrepreneurial journey began with her handcrafted jewellery and jewellery repair company called Bireti. Munro wanted to support herself by funding her education, and after quickly realizing the demand for local handcrafted designs and repairs, she ran with the idea, developing her side hustle into a legitimate business here in Halifax.
A little over a decade later, there has been no shortage of tough times in the economy. Not to mention, being a parent and a full-time student provided its own unique challenges. Despite the hectic schedule, Munro completed her Bachelor of Fine Arts from NSCAD University in 2020 with a double major in Photography and Jewellery Design & Metalsmithing.
Through thick and thin of it all, Munro has been able to navigate challenges like the pandemic seamlessly. Like most entrepreneurs during these times, she had to carefully assess the situation (with a glass-half-full mindset) and figure out how to maximize her returns. Unfortunately, this also meant that she had to spend less time on other ventures that had been fueling her creative outlets.
Munro has a lifelong passion for photography and dance that she has traditionally pulled from for creative expression, thought, and release. The pandemic put a temporary pause to both endeavours, as photographers were in low demand and people were not gathering for dance performances.
That being said, Munro used her extra time and energy to put into Bireti, and the repair side of her company took off. Repairs are something that are traditionally neglected in the jewellery industry, but it’s where Bireti found one of its niches. One of Munro’s main goals with Bireti is to help people maintain the value of keepsake heirloom items. Her repair services allow loved ones to hold on to such items — and the treasured memories they represent — for as long as they can.
After a few years of nurturing and refining Bireti, Munro has been able to build her platform and land some of her hand-crafted gems into various local retailers. Most recently, she’s had her products on display at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia. According to the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia’s website, the design of Munro’s pieces (pictured above) represents her perspective as a racialized person living in a postcolonial environment — representations of line and lineage infuse her fine art, craft, and dance. The shape and movement of her work is designed to evoke reaction and conversation.
As talks of a recession on the horizon continue to grow, Munro’s hope is that people stop buying from larger jewellery chain stores and see the long-term value and quality of handcrafted, locally sourced jewellery. Despite the ambiguity the future holds, Munro has plans to create larger distribution channels for her products and utilize her platform as a local artist. Ultimately, Munro seeks to leverage her other artistic abilities — the initial wells of creativity that enabled her to bring Bireti to life.
See more of Munro’s designs on Instagram at:
@bireti.jewellery
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