Recently we got to spend a little time with the lovely Stacey from Inuk and here is what she had to say:
Tell us a little about how your business came to life.
I created inuk to fulfill my passion for handmade and the earth. I have to admit, I wasn’t always as eco friendly as I am now. I did my weekly recycling and that was it. When my family and I moved here to Perth 3 years ago our lifestyle changed quite a bit. We became more aware of organic foods, were keen to have a veggie garden and reduce wastage. I always thought it was too hard to be eco friendly, but have found that it’s actually easy. I created inuk to help teach other families how easy it can be to be eco friendly along with fulfilling the urge to create handmade clothing.
Can you remember your first sale? What was it? How did you feel?
Yes, my first ‘real’ sale was off of Etsy and was Angus the Rhino. I believe the lady who bought it collected rhino things, I don’t even think she had kids. I would like to say I was happy, calm and collective, but I was actually ecstatic, I jumped up and down a lot, called my husband, then jumped up and down some more. I was so excited I made her a matching bib for being my first sale. It’s an unbelievable feeling to work so hard on something you love and have someone want to buy it. To be honest I do the exact same thing when I get a sale now!
Angus the Rhino
Is there an interesting anecdote behind your business name?
I am from Vancouver and really wanted the Canadian west coast influence to come through in my shirts, inuk (pronounced: in-ooo-k) is an inuit word for people and since people are what fuel inuk, I thought it would be suiting!
Where does most of your creating take place? Show us … if you want.
If you asked my husband… all over the house! I do have an “inuk room” where I store all my favourite fabrics, sewing machine and inspiration. It’s the perfect size and changes shape every couple of months to suit my mood and inuk needs.
What is your favourite item that you make? Show and tell!
Inuk has some big and exciting changes for 2011! We will be reducing our baby line to introduce a full family line so Mum, Dad and older brothers and sisters can benefit from wearing cool eco friendly clothing too. There will be many different designs and styles of clothing using 100% Organic Cotton, eco friendly textile ink and Upcycled Materials. I look forward to debuting my new designs at the future 2011 markets here in Perth!
As for a favourite item, it has to be the newest set called Franki! Franki is an adorable frog who is spying up two little flies for tea… The singlet and nappy cover are both 100% Organic Cotton and perfect for hot summer day naps or PJ’s for balmy nights.
What is your most favourite handcrafted item you have brought?
Ah, so many to choose from… I guess if I HAD to pick one, I would probably say my hand made bag from truso. I love the design and the leather strap is what drew me to it!
What handcrafty thing couldn’t you live without?
I love my new embroidery thread holder that my husband bought me for Christmas! It neatly stores all the thread, needles and scissors I need for my shirts!
