SPOTLiGHT ON: WITH INDIGO
With Indigo is an exciting new Scottish brand selling handmade fashion and gift products. Based in Dundee, the brand is the brainchild of Aimee and Naomi, two recent textiles graduates from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design. With a line of one-of-a-kind graphic tees, pinafores, greetings cards, notepads and earrings, the recently launched label is shaking up the local design scene. As well as selling a range of With Indigo products, they also aim to create an online platform for future graduates and creatives to showcase and sell their work. After the success of their launch and pop-up shop in Aberdeen’s Trinity Shopping Centre, the girls took some time out of their hectic schedules to chat with GiRL ZINE about their business.
What inspired you to start With Indigo; what’s your origin story?
We are two best friends who have spent our life inspiring each other from primary school all the way to our textiles degree at Duncan of Jordanstone in Dundee. Upon graduating, we went travelling and discovered so many creative and innovative communities within Asia, but when we returned, we were faced with a bland and stale industry in Scotland. Thus, we decided to create With Indigo to re-establish Scotland as a textile and design powerhouse, and to create jobs and inspiration for our peers who will be graduating across the country, while creating a transparent and honest brand, which encourages consumers to question the industry.
You say you were inspired by your travels in Asia, what exactly was it there that inspired you?
Whilst in Asia, we spent hours exploring the markets and fell in love with the traditional textiles and fabrics! Also, I think the architecture of the temples and shrines we would visit were of great inspiration to us both. Being in a new environment gave us the chance to reignite our passion for design and gave us a whole new level of inspiration that we couldn't have gathered from Europe.
You’re both DJCAD graduates and have lived in Dundee all your lives, how do you think that’s shaped your development as designers? Is Dundee a good place to be based from or do you yearn for a busier city with a larger creative community?
Dundee is a great place to get design inspiration from as it has a great mix of old and new and has a rich history of design. Living here all our lives has allowed us to explore all elements of the city and has shaped who we are both as people and designers. Dundee is like a village, it’s a great place to make contacts as everyone is in the same boat and is willing to help each other out in any way they can. I think that gives it the edge over some of the bigger busier cities where there is more competition to stand out.
Did you find it difficult starting out, was there a lot of support available?
After spending months travelling it was a reality check coming home and trying to find a ‘real’ job. We both struggled to find jobs that allowed us to continue the work we had begun in our final year of university and we also realised there weren't many jobs that allowed us to stay in Dundee. We were lucky to have support and belief from our family, friends and each other to take the risk and create a brand. There’s a lot of help available for startup businesses in and around Dundee, and often, other independent businesses are willing to help and share their expertise and knowledge of the industry, which is amazing. We were very privileged to have received marketing help from RGU students who got us up and running and gave us the best possible start!
What is your favourite item in the shop just now?
Aimee - My fave item just now is the flamingo tee. It’s my go to top when I want to throw something on with a pair of jeans, makes me feel summery.
Naomi - I think the acrylic earrings are a fun accessory to brighten up any outfit. There’s something for everyone!
How would you describe your individual design styles?
We both have very different styles but they compliment each other!
Aimee - I think my style is very experimental, I love seeing how I can use fabrics in unconventional ways and most of my final designs come about by just playing with texture and surfaces and seeing what I can create.
Naomi - As a designer, I seek to push boundaries of surface design and traditional textile practices whilst retaining hand-drawn qualities and sensitive marks. I create a variety of compositions, motifs and textures through screen and digital print, which allows my work to keep up with digital trends whilst preserving an organic feel to it. Colour, pattern and texture lie at the heart of my work and are an integral part of my design process. Oh and I'm quite partial to the odd pun!
Each of you has to describe With Indigo in 3 words… Go!
Aimee - Bold. Quirky. Fun.
Naomi - Creative. Colourful. Chaotic.
Who would you say your inspirations were?
Aimee - A big inspiration of mine who I always look to when designing is Vivienne Westwood, I love the rebellious nature of her designs and how she uses her position to make a statement and stand up for her beliefs.
Naomi - Timorous Beasties are a big inspiration of mine. As well as being a independent Scottish startup by two best friends, they produce eye catching designs, motifs and textures creating a range of interesting and unique products which stand out in a crowded market - something With Indigo aspire to do.
If you could pick anyone in the world to wear your designs, who would it be?
The HAIM sisters! It’s convenient that our products mostly come in variations of three’s, like our pinafores for example. Gals, if you're reading, don't hesitate to get in touch...
What does it mean to you to be able to run your own brand?
Having the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of business, from design to manufacturing to sales, is very exciting as we have free reign to do what we want. We are both pretty laid back so it’s nice to be able to go off and design a new product without any limitations and see it come to life!
What would you say your main goals are for With Indigo?
We really want to see With Indigo become a platform to help others in Dundee and around Scotland. We want to gather a strong following that will allow graduates to join our team and sell their designs on our website as a stepping stone into their design careers. We are also looking into helping children who have not had the best start in life by letting them express themselves creatively and collaborate with With Indigo to help them create a line of products, for example greeting cards, that they can put their name to and hopefully inspire them to continue designing.
Can you give any hints as to what’s coming next?
We have lots more products that are coming soon - some very exciting pieces for summer so please keep your eyes peeled! Watch this space!
Shop With Indigo at http://withindigo.co.uk