Kourtney Kardashian backs Kiwi handmade children’s swings

The owner of small New Zealand company Solvej Swings, Jenny Etherington, was shocked when she received an email from Kourtney Kardashian’s executive assistant, telling her Kourtney was a fan of their high-end handmade children’s swings and wanted to include them as a recommendation in her holiday gift guide.

The gift guide is something Kourtney and her sisters do annually, sharing products they love on their personal apps and websites.

A few years ago, the famous mother of three purchased two Solvej Swings in ‘merino white’. Jenny noticed the familiar email address and courier address at the time. In the subsequent email approach about the gift guide, Kourtney’s assistant gushed, “She loves these swings!”

From small-town New Zealand to glossy Los Angeles, the Solvej Swings owner can’t begin to comprehend how their products ended up on the radar of Kourtney Kardashian.

“It’s very exciting!” says Jenny. “It’s kind of crazy to think when we are here in small rural Matiere sewing our swings that they may end up in amazing homes in LA, like Kourtney Kardashian’s.”

The day the gift guide went live on Kourtney’s website, the Solvej Swings website experienced a flood of traffic from America – more than 10 times their usual number of site visits. A few of the stores that stock Solvej Swings in America have already ordered more in ‘merino white’ (Kourtney’s choice) in readiness for the extra demand Kourtney’s recommendation may create.

The gift guide is yet to be promoted across Kourtney’s social media profiles (Instagram, Twitter and Facebook) which have a combined reach of 109 million followers. Kourtney has 71 million followers on Instagram alone and industry experts estimate she can command around $300,000 for a single Instagram post promoting a product.

There was no monetary charge for being included in the gift guide but the assistant did ask for a few of the Solvej Swings, saying Kourtney intends to gift them to friends and family. There’s no word on whether Stormi (Kylie Jenner’s daughter), Dream (Rob Kardashian’s daughter), Chicago (Kim Kardashian’s daughter) or True (Khloe Kardashian’s daughter) will be the recipients of these swings, but Jenny admits they’re all the perfect age for the product which is suitable for children aged six months to six years.

“The feedback to her post so far has been wonderful! It’s heart-warming to see how excited our customers and friends are for us. Reactions from locals in our town have been particularly cool – it turns out many never knew about us and they find it really exciting to know that something made in our small unassuming village is even known overseas or by a celebrity!” laughs Jenny.

Kourtney is known for her strong stance around supporting ethically produced, eco-friendly products. The Scandinavian-design Solvej Swings are sustainably made from wood (recycled matai where possible) and a speciality canvas and can be used both indoors and outdoors.

Jenny and husband Thomas Mortimer, a cabinetmaker by trade, hand-craft the swings at their Matiere headquarters, 30-minute drive from Taumarunui in the middle of the North Island, alongside their employees.

Solvej Swings is an undercover success story. From their humble headquarters, Solvej Swings sell internationally, in France, Denmark, Switzerland, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands, Austria, the UK, America, Australia, NZ, Hong Kong and Dubai. Last year they produced 2000 swings.