PHOTOS: Michael Le Grange | WORDS: Mirelle Leyden
The Flowermill team, Deborah Inkson, Roxy Barlow, Robyn van der Toorn and Ingrid Blohm, is adding unique flair to the design of gift accessories.
After studying together at the AAA School of Advertising in Cape Town, Robyn and Ingrid played a game of tag in the world of graphic design – always finding jobs at the same agencies. They soon realised that they were simply destined to be ‘designer’ soul mates. The result was their first design studio, called 11.
However, a desire for even greater ‘creative playing’ led to the creation of Flowermill. ‘Both Robyn and I adore fun stationery and we identified a gap in the market for locally designed wrapping paper, cards and tags,’ says Ingrid. ‘We needed someone with marketing savvy to help us turn our dream into a reality and Deborah – a creative genius, PR pro and marketing guru – was perfect for the job.’
The team was completed when Roxy signed up as a designer, and although Flowermill has only been in full swing since March 2007, the dynamism of the people behind it means their products have been on everybody’s lips from the word go. With a style that is fun yet elegant, Flowermill’s designs appeal to a vast variety of preferences and are generic in the sense that they suit both men and women.
The Flowermill team is committed to promoting South African design that is affordable and manufactured locally. ‘It took an entire year to find a method of printing the wrapping paper that made it cost effective enough for us not to have it printed in China,’ Deborah explains. Flowermill also aims to be eco-friendly. ‘All our cards and tags are printed on recycled paper and, because the process of printing wrapping paper is less eco-friendly, we plant trees to compensate for this,’ says Robyn.
To further promote affordable South African design, Flowermill has created a sister company called Ink. ‘Art is such an expensive commodity, yet it does so much for the ambience in a home that it should be viewed as a necessity rather than a luxury,’ explains Deborah. This is why Roxy has designed printed canvases that are rich in colour, aesthetic appeal and brilliant design, yet are affordable at the same time.
The Flowermill product range is available at Exclusive Books, Wordsworth, Loft Living and Less is More. The Ink canvases can be ordered from Flowermill.
• Flowermill: 021 461 0775, www.flowermill.co.za
