Interview | Lindi Kingi

Lindi Kingi Design is a gorgeous collection of jewellery 'born of a love for the eclectic, the exotic and the precious'. Hand made in New Zealand and distributed worldwide, I've been a fan for a while now so when a friend mentioned she knew Lindi I jumped at the chance of interviewing her. After exchanging a few emails and phone calls with Lindi's lovely sales agent Vanessa, the three of us ended up meeting earlier this week. Over a glass of red wine we chatted away like old friends, talking about kids and life but mostly the world of Lindi Kingi Design.

One of the first things I noticed about Lindi, besides an innate sense of style and the gorgeous jewellery she was wearing, was how down to earth she is. Incredibly modest, Lindi confesses to being shy, preferring anonymity over being recognised, yet in person she is bubbly and chatty and talks enthusiastically about the business. 

Having always been artistic, Lindi lived on Waiheke for ten years where she used to create and sell artworks and paintings. A move towards designing jewellery started out with a few bracelets for friends and family. Now Lindi Kingi Design is stocked in stores through NZ, and is available from international online retailers. She is the only NZ designer to have been invited to sell her products on ASOS Marketplace, the boutique division of the UK's largest independent online fashion and beauty retailer and they have just signed up with SurfStitch.com, Australia's leading online surf and fashion store and recent winner of the 2012 online retailer of the year! 

Having come a long way since those early days on Waiheke, Lindi laughs as she recalls how excited she was the first time she saw someone wearing a piece of her jewellery - that wasn't a friend or relative! She still gets a buzz from seeing people wear her designs, and due to the brand's rising popularity, that's now a common occurrence! 

Lindi makes all of her jewellery by hand, often working in her Auckland studio until the small hours of the morning. She has taken on several staff to help with the day to day running of the business but still does the bulk of the work herself. Pretty impressive, especially considering she has three school-age daughters! Having just launched the Summer 13 range, I'm really excited to be sharing some of the new pieces with you today, along with the interview.

First I'd like to say a massive thank you to Lindi for taking time out of her busy schedule to answer these questions. Make sure you check out the links that follow... there are a number of places to buy from. 

Neon Tassel Earrings in Pink

I had some serious style envy seeing Lindi and Vanessa adorned in their range of stunning jewellery when we met up. Vanessa was sporting the new Neon Tassel Earrings and they look phenomenal!

Can you tell us a little bit about your background - how did you end up becoming a jewellery designer?

I started making jewellery by accident really; I made a wooden bracelet for myself and had so many people ask me to make them one, I thought perhaps I could make a business from it! After moving to the city from Waiheke, Rickie from Superette gave me an opportunity to stock their stores and it went crazy from there!

Your jewellery is handmade here in New Zealand. What materials do you use and where do you source them from? 

The materials I use tend to be natural ones…wood, leather, lava and the materials I use come from wherever I can get them…Korea, Thailand, Bali, China!


Wooden Tassel Bracelet in Brown + Gold

 
Swarovski Glass Pearl Bracelets in Vintage Blue or Duck Egg + Silver

Wooden Howlite Necklace in Tan + Cream

Charm Earrings in Silver | Howlite Necklace in Turquoise + Silver | Howlite Necklace in Cream + Silver 

Creative people often love the creative side of their work but dislike the business side (paperwork, marketing etc). How do you manage these two sides and/or what advice would you give to aspiring designers wanting to start their own business?

I’m at bit of a financial spastic, so learning the paperwork side of the business was a little difficult, but really empowering once I got the hang of it…nothing like being in control of your money!

Hmmm….paperwork advice…well, I guess the main thing is to be organised…don’t leave things in a big jumbled mess till the last minute and get a great accountant and accounting system. I use Enable Business and Xero…both of them are fantastic!

Your designs are described as being 'romantic with a touch of darkness.' Can you tell us a bit more about this?

Romantic with a touch of darkness is about not being predictable…wearing your gorgeous pearls, that look so pretty…but on closer inspection have a wee skull dangling from them…I guess it’s about contrast!

6mm Dyed Jade Bracelets

Jasper Bracelets in Seabreeze + Silver, Baby Pink + Silver, Bone + Silver 

Shell Bracelet in Sand + Gold

You have your own blog Lindi Kingi Design. Are there any online resources that you visit regularly for creative inspiration? What else inspires you - places, travel, books, magazines.. etc?

I get inspiration from everything around me…walking down Ponsonby Road, my friends, my kids, Pinterest, interior design, sportswear! I don’t think you have to travel so much anymore (although it’s nice and I love it!), with the internet you can get around the world in pictures in a morning!

What are you working on right now?

At the moment I’m working on getting Summer 13 finished. I’m always behind…I know everyone else is already finishing Winter, but I think it’s one of the advantages of being small and making everything here…I can keep creating pieces right till the last minute. Getting a feel for what people are really into and what’s selling well and building on that.

Window Bead Bracelet in Electric Blue + Silver 

Wooden Tassel Bracelets

You also design a line of jewellery for kids - Lindi Kingi Kids - and some bags and coin purses. Will you continue to expand your range of products? What does the future hold for Lindi Kingi Design?

I love the kid’s range and will definitely keep expanding it. The bags and purses are a bit trickier…I think it’s good to stick to what you know and stay focused. I have a little trouble with this! So I guess at the moment it’s more about consolidating what I’ve already built up!

Wooden Tassel Necklace in Chocolate + Neon Pink

Neon Swarovski Pearl Bracelet in Yellow + Silver, Pink + Silver, Orange + Silver

Skull Tassel Earrings

How fabulous is the new range? I'm so in love with neon right now. And you know how I feel about skulls! These pieces are just perfect for summer - the hardest thing will be deciding which ones to buy! 

Pop over here to see the full Summer 13 collection and to shop online. For stockists take a look here. You can also buy from their Facebook Store. 

All images via Lindi Kingi Design