kikko

where does the name kikko come from?

My designs are heavily influenced by the Japanese culture as reflected in my clean, simple minimalistic style – and in all the kimono silk bag linings. I wanted a name which reinforced this – something crisp and easy to remember but also with meaning.

kikko means ‘hexagon’ in Japanese which is the shape of my logo. The hexagon is predominant in Japanese design and as a result many of the kimono silks I use feature this shape. I try and reinforce my branding by using hexagons on swing tags, business cards and stationary. what is your specialty?

My bag and belt designs are all about the Japanese fabric. I design limited edition ranges which include belts, laptop bags, handbags and evening clutches. Each bag features a different silk lining making it an individual work of art. I am the antithesis of mass produced!

what is the process involved in getting your pieces made?

I can be anywhere when inspiration strikes so I like to keep a notepad handy. As a result I end up with bits of paper in the car, my bag at home and I try and collate these into different categories. eg, evening, guys, handbags, etc.

I look through these and start sketching bag shapes all the while thinking about practicality of use. I aim for my designs to not just look great but also be functional and easy to use. Then I think about what leather would suit the design and finally choose an assortment of the Japanese silks for the linings. Sometimes I see the leather first and think what bag I would like to see in that colour. I don’t aways follow the same process – it depends on how I am feeling and what is in front of me. My ideas are then turned into the first samples and then I make any changes if necessary..which is usually the case! Quite time consuming, but fun.

any suggestions for people looking to start in the handmade world?

Spend a lot of time looking at other people’s design style and be very clear on how your work is different and how you want to show that point of difference. Look at how people display and market their designs. Research suppliers carefully as this can make a huge difference to your margins.

Contact craft blogs and magazines and ask if they can feature your work. I have found the hardest thing is getting people to see what you do and let them know where they can buy your wares. Incube.8r has been fantastic for getting my brand out to the people. Be consistent with branding. Know that any mistakes you make along the way are all part of the journey and you kind of need to make them to get where you want to be. One more thing..try and show restraint when buying supplies and only buy what you need as this can seriously ruin the cash flow situation! In the early days I tended to go wild and buy more linings than I needed as I loved the fabrics so much. It nearly proved to be my undoing! Slowly learning now….

Believe in your product, produce excellent quality, and talk to as many people as you can about their own business experiences and you will eventually get there.

More talent at fortitude valley

So another month down, and HAVE A LOOK AT US NOW!!!  Over 70 artists have joined with us, and we couldn’t be happier!!!  So much talent, so many beautiful things made by hand.  It’s been a real pleasure bringing this shop to Brisvegas – I’m so glad that Isy’s idea is now being brought to the people of Queensland, and they are definitely happy about it!!!

Here is a snippet of the beautiful new things on offer in fortitude valley – why not come and have a look for yourself!?!!

whizzbangle

Tell me what inspired you into making bangles?

I have never liked to wear a watch, but I really like to wear bangles on my left arm. I think I like the way they respond with your activity, dancing wildly with big hand gestures, resting while you work at the computer, the odd ‘clank’ to remind you they are there.

How easy or hard is the process?

The process of making things in resin isn’t hard, it is just a bit fiddly. There are safety precautions to be taken, and measurements of the two parts of the resin needs to be accurate and then you have to wait while the piece dries (which is a hard part when you are starting out). I found bangles were a great item to make while my kids were young and sleeping – you could pour while they had their afternoon nap and then demould when they went to sleep at night. The *worst* part is the finishing – sanding away bits that were overpoured in the mould and then buffing the finished piece with nine grades of sandpaper! I am self-taught in all of this, so I haven’t yet looked into machine-based finishing (fingers crossed!).

Are there any secrets about your processes that you wish to share?

Secrets? hmmmmm I don’t think there are any great secrets in what I do. I am always looking for something new to put in a bangle, and to date have used spice powders (paprika, turmeric and chilli) to colour bangles. And I really want to work out the way to embed coffee beans (perhaps with the title “In case of emergency, suck bangle”?)

Is this your only job, or do you have something else that gets in the way of your passion!?!!

Yes, by day ecologist for the Government, by night mother and bangle designer!

find whizzbangle at in.cube8r fortitude valley.

….on a personal note

Hello, it’s me; Isy, the originator of this little project, the in.cube8r gallery.

I held onto this dream, sat on it for close to 12 whole years. To be honest, it was fear that held me back.

When I stood in that disheartening dole queue in early 2007 I saw the flyer for NEIS.  I stood there and listened to how the desensitized social workers spoke to everyone with grouchy disdain and I thought to myself, “OK. So I’m lying on my death bed, what’s my biggest regret?” The answer came immediately, “Not having done anything about the in.cube8r gallery dream”.

At that point I knew it was now or never. That was the turning point of my life.

So, I clenched my teeth and jumped.

I opened an empty shop with only 9 cubes filled to the general Melbourne public on July 7, 2007.

I told my friends, ‘You know what? Even if the whole thing fails; even if it’s the biggest ever flop in Melbourne’s retail history; at least I tried!’

Here we are 3 years later with over 100,000 Google mentions and 2 in.cube8rs!! I often pinch myself. It still doesn’t feel real.

14 months ago I looked into franchising. I couldn’t open anymore outlets, but there was so much interest. I put it off for another 8 months as I was again; just plain scared. 100 ‘What if’s’ and ‘Where were the right people?’ and ‘Would they represent it with, and feel as much fervor and passion about it all as I do?’

And then I met Vicki Sinclair. Vicki came in, grabbed it and made it her own in Brisbane (before the franchises were even ready!). She runs it, loves it and has already told me that she’ll be there till she’s 80.

There is something about representing handmade that can only be described as magical.

I see it on my customer’s faces when they walk in here or when I tell them the concept.  There’s also something supremely magical about taking 100% of all the sales for the month and placing all of it into 90 bank accounts.

What we are doing is creating a sustainable future for handmade in the form of a platform for creators of handmade goodness.

We offer choice in a retail sector that was stagnant with its huge commissions and ‘power-over’ attitude.

This is my vision and my future and I will stop at nothing to grow this here as well as off shore.

I started with nothing, just one tiny seed of a dream. I encourage everyone to draw, see and grow their dreams!!

I can also guarantee there will never be commission taken on sales.

I created this because I know there are 100’s of you out there who make.

There are those of you housebound with tiny tots with wonderful desks full of the most extraordinary creations, journals crammed full of the most exquisite ideas just waiting to be formed.

Some of you are at home due to a disability and some of you create in the last hour before you go to bed because you have other obligations and important jobs.

in.cube8r offers you the exposure, the opportunity to trial ideas, ANY ideas.

A space where you make all the decisions over your creations, how they are placed.

We give you back the power, the funds you generate and show you off to whoever walks into our space.

I recently bought the new Australia and New Zealand wide franchise magazine.  There is NOTHING even remotely close to what we offer.

We were the first to offer 100% commission free sales!

I’m super proud of this, this is an ethical business and through franchising I share the love and know-how of over a decade of in.cube8-ing the dream.

………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

Isy lives in the Dandenong Ranges with her partner Michael (without whom she’d never had the courage to start in.cube8r) and their 7 pets. Her other passion is glass blowing.

the delightful Miss Dish

Tell me where Miss Dish started?

I started Miss Dish in 2005 while I was living in Dublin, Ireland. I lived there for over 4 years from 2004 to 2008. Dublin has a young vibrant scene and a very active creative community. During the time that I lived there I was part of the Designer Mart traders in Temple Bar. Every Saturday we would set up our stalls often on a lovely cold and rainy Dublin day! I met so many inspiring designers while I lived there – Fiona of FiFi Le Rue, Deirdre Griffin, Regina of WaterMemory…..

What is your inspiration for your range?

Miss Dish is a very feminine range of hairpieces and fascinators. I like to mix this with my love of bold, loud colours which feature in my work a lot! I love abstract 50′s prints and the 80′s versions as well. I am inspired by a mixture of Art Nouveau and Art Deco – part feminine – part edgy. Another source of inspiration is the raunchy opulence of the women of the 1920′s and the demure elegance of the 1950′s. As you can tell I’m torn between era’s but its safe to say I am inspired by the past! In saying that, current street fashion fascinates me and I love to see how creative people are in their every day wear.

Anything new in the making?

Yes. Yes. Yes! I’ve been working like a mad thing on my new range of hair bows (on headbands and combs). As I mentioned before I have a love of strong colours and these are a predominate feature in my work as well as a line in abstract 50′s style prints.

I am also creating a line out of recycled materials. I have already made some gorgeous pieces for a photo shoot that Kohii will be photographing this week along with some other Brisbane designers who also use an element of recycled products in their work – Jetta’s Nest and Liana Kabel to mention a few. I can’t wait to see the results.

I will be stocking my cube at in.cube8r this week with some of my pretty new bows.

Any advice for new crafters wanting to make a start in the business?

I can recommend a start up Business course through Bizness Babes ran at the Bleeding Heart Gallery on Ann St. I graduated from this course recently and I found it helped me immensely. They are an incredibly supportive group of people who are happy to impart their business knowledge and help micro businesses in their start up period.