A Midland mother who runs an online fashion business has designed merchandise for pop star PinkPantheress, after initially believing the collaboration offer was a scam.
Judy Tsui, 34, from Staffordshire, launched her Etsy shop TheJUHandmade in 2016 while living in Hong Kong, selling hair scrunchies and handbag pouches. A decade later, the small business has become her full-time job, alongside caring for her nine-year-old son.
From Hoax to Reality
When Judy was first approached to collaborate with PinkPantheress, whose real name is Victoria Beverley Walker, she was convinced it was a hoax. "To be honest, the first time they tried to reach me, I thought it was a scam. Totally," she told PA Real Life. "Because there’s lots of many talented creators on Etsy, and I think I’m not the special one or outstanding one in all of them."
However, once she realised the offer was genuine, Judy was thrilled. "When I realised it was real, I was so excited, of course, and surprised – that it was PinkPantheress at first, and second that they’d chosen me as the one creator."
From Lingerie Designer to Full-Time Mum and Entrepreneur
In her 20s, Judy worked as a lingerie designer in Hong Kong but left her career when she fell pregnant. After her son was born in 2016, she launched TheJUHandmade to satisfy her creative drive. "I love creating stuff, because becoming a designer was always a dream of mine growing up," she said.
Initially, Judy struggled to balance parenting and running a business, pausing her Etsy shop until 2021 when she moved to the UK. Since then, the shop has become her full-time job, handling everything from design and manufacturing to photography and marketing. Her typical day starts at 10am after dropping her son at school and ends when he returns, at which point she switches back to her "mum and wife role."
Creating the PinkPantheress Scrunchie
Judy was selected from thousands of designers to create bespoke merchandise for PinkPantheress's UK tour, as part of Etsy's The Festival Shop. She designed a punk-inspired scrunchie in the artist's signature red tartan, complete with a chain of charms. Despite initial self-doubt, Judy embraced the challenge. "In the beginning, when I saw PinkPantheress’s mood board and design inspiration, I thought: ‘Can I really do that? Am I too old to do this kind of stuff?’" she recalled.
Midway through production, Judy was hospitalised for a blood transfusion due to low blood pressure. Desperate to meet the deadline, she asked her husband to bring her sewing machine to the hospital ward, but he refused. After a week in hospital, she returned straight to her workshop to complete the limited-edition scrunchies, which are now available on her Etsy page and have been modelled by PinkPantheress herself.
A Dream Come True
Judy has made over 2,000 sales and maintains a five-star rating on Etsy. Reflecting on the collaboration, she said, "I think this is a really, really good opportunity for me to collaborate with a celebrity – one that I never imagined. So, I think after this collaboration, I have to work even more hard." She added, "As a mum, you can also do what you like to do – and if you work hard, people can see it. Even as a mum, not young anymore, you can still do something you like and you dream about. Even if you’re a mum for so many years, you can still chase your dreams. Don’t give up."
