Alicia Haszard, best known as the founder of New Zealand jewellery brand PĀMU, is a rising star in the New Zealand fashion industry and a pioneer for women in small business. Having loved beautiful things since childhood, Alicia’s passion for jewellery goes as far back as she can remember.

Alicia’s journey began after graduating from University of Auckland with a conjoint degree in Property and Commerce. After initially working in property, she felt like something was missing, and used her business background to learn what she could in the fashion industry with roles at Grab Denim and Russell Athletic where she learned about manufacturing, sales, design and wholesales processes. 

A busy mother to three boys, Alicia came up with the idea to develop her own jewellery line during the tail end of the pandemic in 2021. She was looking for something that not only meant she could work around her busy schedule as a mum, but paid homage to her grandmother and her beloved PĀMU (farm) she lives on that she named the brand after. Having been very close to her nana, she spent much of her childhood in the far north in the small town of Whangape, with many of these experiences reflected in the pieces she creates. 

Alicia has always loved jewellery and found being able to use her creativity to design special pieces was something that felt right. From the beginning she wanted PĀMU to be fashion forward, but also distinctly Aotearoa, with nods to strong women from her past. 

PĀMU has seen huge growth since launching in 2022 with a 600% increase in sales compared to last year. It’s also seen international success with Australian orders on the rise. The brand has been featured frequently in Australian press such as WHO Magazine, Elle Australia, Mamamia as well as those closer to home. 

In addition to her entrepreneurial endeavours with PĀMU, Alicia is deeply involved in initiatives such as Oyster and Moon, a collective of like-minded Māori and Pacific Island businesses and communities that provides an online platform to showcase their luxury goods. Alicia’s relentless drive has also led her to expand PĀMU’s horizons, with plans to launch into a store in New York’s fashionable Soho district, showcasing her designs to an international audience later this year. 

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