Litter Jewelry: What Happened To The Brand After Shark Tank?
Most of the entrepreneurs who appear on ABC's business-savvy reality show "Shark Tank" seek a deal with an investor that will allow them to grow their business while retaining as much ownership and control as possible. However, Litter founders Mackenzie Burdick and Rachael Mann approached the series with a very different goal in mind when they entered the tank in Season 3, Episode 8.
Litter's body jewelry, constructed from thrifted pieces, featured unique designs that caught the attention of nearly every Shark on the show. The founders shared their story of designing a headpiece for an event and receiving multiple requests for custom pieces. By the time the sisters appeared in the series, they had already provided custom jewelry to major celebrities, including Lady Gaga and Kesha, and had a 400-piece order from Urban Outfitters waiting to be fulfilled. Despite this success, their sales the previous year only amounted to $78,000.
The sisters only wanted to continue designing jewelry and had no desire to manage their growing business. They offered the majority share of their company (51%) to the "Shark Tank" investors right off the bat, presumably with the knowledge that negotiations could drive that number even higher. Did the sisters' unique approach pay off and lead them to the designer deal of their dreams or did it leave them in the dust?
Litter's Shark Tank Pitch
Robert Herjavec immediately dropped out of the running, citing a lack of passion for the jewelry business. While Kevin O'Leary expressed interest in mass-producing Litter's designs overseas, Daymond John was the first Shark to make an offer. He explained that the sisters' request was considered a "designer offer" in the industry, which would normally top out at 35% equity. John offered them $80,000 for 70% equity, and after Barbara Cocoran interjected, insisting that John "would never make that offer to a male designer," he included annual salaries and a future option to buy back up to a total of 49% of the company.
O'Leary then offered $80,000 for 51% equity, and Mark Cuban teamed up with Daymond John on his offer, pitching in half of the $80,000. John gave the founders only 24 seconds to accept. Although Cocoran expressed her desire to make an offer, Mackenzie Burdick and Rachel Mann accepted John and Cuban's offer before she had a chance to do so.
Litter after Shark Tank
After the airing of Season 3, Episode 8, Rachel Mann, co-founder of Litter Jewelry, sat down with Daymond John on YouTube to provide an update on their business since their appearance on "Shark Tank." During the interview, surrounded by custom jewelry pieces, they discussed the brand's recent collaboration with supermodel Selita Ebanks, who had released a line of accessories called Selita Sass, designed by Litter Jewelry.
Mann also mentioned that Litter's designs had been worn by Lindsay Lohan, Vanessa Hudgens, and even Lucy Liu on the cover of Harper's Bazaar. Their jewelry has also been featured in other fashion magazines such as Vogue, Teen Vogue, and Nylon. Mann and John shared that their products were being sold by Free People and several high-fashion boutiques around the world. John referred to Mann as the "epitome of a designer" and expressed amazement over the creative designs that she and her sister produced for Litter.
Is Litter still in business?
Unfortunately, despite all the buzz about Litter in high fashion and celebrity circles, it appears the company was unable to remain in business long-term. In 2018, the company abruptly stopped posting on Instagram and Facebook — with the exception of one Instagram post promoting decorative mask covers during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, which received zero comments. Litter's Twitter account hasn't been active since 2016.
The brand's website is no longer available, and there is no mention of Litter products being sold at Urban Outfitters or Free People. All indications point to Litter having gone out of business — despite its apparent success — at some point prior to the start of 2019. Since no official (or unofficial) announcement has been made to the public by the company's founders or any other representative, why the business chose to close its doors is anyone's guess.
Outlook for Litter's founders
The future of Mackenzie Burdick and Rachel Mann, the two creative sisters who launched Litter, is unclear. Burdick is still listed as a designer at Litter on her LinkedIn page, although her account appears inactive and the company's page no longer exists. While she seems to have a personal Instagram account, it is listed as private, and her Facebook page appears largely abandoned.
Mann, the other half of the Litter team, is even more difficult to track down, probably due in part to her common name. Mann is also still listed as a designer at Litter on her inactive LinkedIn page. In a 2014 interview with The Project for Women, both Mann and Burdick identified themselves as stay-at-home moms to very young children when they weren't busy working on designs for Litter. Perhaps they have turned their focus back onto their families in the years that followed.