Please welcome my guest ---Virginia Njeri Kamau!!!
Virginia is from Sweden. She is a fab surface pattern designer.
Her mission is to ''design patterns that will warm your heart at a glance!''
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Enjoy your read---
How would you describe yourself and your working style...
I would describe myself as a very down to earth person. My style is quite playful and influenced quite much by the environment at time of motif creation. When it comes to medium, I hand draw do the next steps on AI CS6.
What do you like to do when you are not designing ?
Socializing the old school way verbally and thanks God to viberApp I find myself bubbling with the the whole world now. I am quite spontaneous and would find myself liking doing this and that.
You manufacture your own products too... When and how did this came in your mind?
Well I don't literally manufacture, but I order own fabrics and sew own selling stuff, mostly pillows and Toiletry bag. Hmm when and how it came to mind? I would say it was pretty much out of inspiration by other successful designers.
I started off with bespoke, step by step and aiming my way up to selling lots at ago from markets and the like in future. My success are pretty much on licensing. My failures that I normally see as a learning has been being with right products at wrong place, but as I said it's a learning and I have a long way to enjoy paving through.
The major failure has been stationery stock....o boy, wrong place or is card market fading off.
Your favorite color is... ?
I never get enough of mustard yellow.
Tell us about your first collection and your first show ?
I have been pretty much on one offs, but my one absolute worked on collection is, QUAINT coming soon at Modern Yardage. The idea was absolutely spontaneous based on my longing for light and sunshine during the winter gloom.
First show of this collection, coming soon so do stay tuned via my FB page.
When did you get the idea that 'designing' was the thing you love ?
I was actually doing research on a client work on a design firm over my Graphic Design internship and I landed in a Surface pattern website and that very second, I got hooked. Oh, I recall how I wanted more than ever to come home for some quality time with this webpage.
Anything you want to share to your readers about setting up his/her own business ?
I am quite new and learning lots along the way, best advice is to have well set goals. I must add on, that fear will never take anything that you do not give it! So, do not be afraid to get the ball rolling in a step you want to take to move you forward.
Who is your dream client ? Is there anyone 'special' for whom you would like to design ?
Two Swedish companies indeed, IKEA and the next one is a local one that I would love to keep dark for now.
Tell us a bit about your biggest challenge in your career, and the way you handled it ?
A day after a wonderful welcome interview with Modern Yardage, I came to learn that our 8yrs of relationship had come to it's end. This did affect my design mojo of-course for a couple of weeks, but nothing I can not handle. After all, it's just a challenge.
I have pretty much kept my focus on getting started with Modern yardage and concentrating on what's important on what's next in the moving on and so far, the going is pretty good.
Your greatest inspiration is ?
Greatest inspiration is Designer Heather Dutton of Hang Tight Studio.
How would you describe your work place ..?
Very well organised, but it in just seconds I can turn it look chaos (a thing of creative people haha). I would be glad if you skip that picture but here is one with work place at it's best.
Where can people contact you ?
For bespoke pillows, info@njeridesigns.com with subject "bespoke pillows".
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Thanks Virginia!
