Cookie Lee

Cookie Lee was the creation of Debra Lin, whose childhood nickname was Cookie. Her parents had come to the United States from China in 1948. She studied at UC Berkeley and UC Davis, earned an MBA at Northwestern University, and worked in marketing for Mattel, Johnson & Johnson and Revlon. She took a beading class for fun, wore her pieces to work and began selling to coworkers after hours.

In 1985 she put $300 into materials and sold more than $8,000 of jewelry on the side. About five years later she left her corporate job for good, because she wanted to work from home and be there for her children. The company dates its founding as a direct sales business to 1992. It grew fast. A 2007 Freedom News Service profile, run in the Appeal-Democrat, reported that privately held Cookie Lee Inc. had annual sales of $125 million, up from $5 million six years earlier, and more than 40,000 active Consultants. Its corporate office was in Tustin, California, with a showroom in Irvine where Consultants stocked up on new pieces.

“What we DO is sell jewelry, but what we ARE is a company about women and empowering them to reach for their dreams.”

Cookie Lee, Chairwoman and Chief Designer — Cookie Lee website (cookielee.com), September 2012

Cookie Lee was a member of the Direct Selling Association. By 2012 the company said it had been helping women build businesses for over 20 years, and it ran a Women Helping Women program that shared Consultants’ success stories.

Cookie Lee sold fashion jewelry, often called costume jewelry, designed for everyday wear. Cookie herself was the chief designer and liked to say she followed trends closely. The range covered:

• Necklaces and pendants: chains, crosses, lockets and statement pendants.
• Bracelets: bangles, beaded stretch bracelets and stacking sets.
• Earrings: hoops, drops and studs.
• Rings and watches: including hostess-only pieces such as a crystal watch in 2012.
• Seasonal items: holiday charms, sweater pins and limited-release pieces.

The company put out two catalogs a year, plus monthly specials, limited-edition new arrivals and Insider’s Club exclusives that were not in any catalog. Prices were low for party-plan jewelry. The 2007 Appeal-Democrat profile said almost all items cost less than $40. In 2012 the company marked its anniversary with a “20 years, 20 items, $20 each” promotion.

“To me, jewelry is fun and fashion at its finest because you can completely change the style and attitude of an outfit just by adding accessories.”

Cookie Lee, Chairwoman and Chief Designer — Cookie Lee website (cookielee.com), August 2012

Sellers were called Consultants. They sold at home shows, fundraisers and personal shopping appointments, and each Consultant wore a badge with her name and sign-up number. Some sold as a hobby for a few hundred dollars a month, while others held three or more shows a week.

Getting started

The cost of joining changed over the years. The 2007 Appeal-Democrat profile put the initial investment at about $325. The older Direct Sales Aid profile listed a $60 membership fee covering a catalog, a tote bag and business tools, plus optional jewelry packages of $243.75 (worth $325 at retail) or $500 (worth $1,000). In 2012 the company advertised that new Consultants could join for $99; that kit came with display necklaces, a branded tote, catalogs and business supplies. A Consultant could quit at any time without penalty.

Pay and rewards

Consultants bought jewelry at 50% of retail, so they kept half of every sale. Those who built a team earned 5% to 12% on their team’s sales, according to the 2007 profile. Titles ran up to national director and, at the top, executive national director. High performers earned family cruises and trips, and more than 60 had earned Mercedes-Benz cars by 2007. The same report noted that some leaders earned close to $30,000 a month while most Consultants earned far less.

Hostesses

Hostesses earned free jewelry based on show sales, could buy pieces at 50% off, and got access to $10 exclusive items, according to the older Direct Sales Aid profile.

In April 2014 Cookie Lee was sold to Debra Miller. She renamed the company ViVi, which stood for vision, inspiration, value and independence, JCK reported. The change did not last. On July 7, 2016, the company filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy, which means liquidation rather than a restructuring, JCK’s Rob Bates reported on July 15, 2016. The case was filed under the name Cookie Lee, Inc. in federal bankruptcy court in California. The company did not publish a reason.

JCK placed the filing among several setbacks for long-running home jewelry companies, noting that Lia Sophia had ceased operations in 2014 and Silpada Designs had closed in May 2016.

Today neither brand trades. The cookielee.com website no longer responds, and the vivijewelry.com domain is listed for sale. Former Consultants cannot order new stock. Second-hand Cookie Lee jewelry still turns up on resale sites. Readers who miss the home jewelry show can look at live jewelry companies on Direct Sales Aid, such as Paparazzi.