DROP 1: KJP
Named after her initials, KJP is Katherine Jean Plumb's vibrant brand.
A collection of prints, home and lifestyle products that will make anyone visiting you say - "Wow where did you get that?" - the brand is an embodiment of her love (and wild talent) for textiles, pattern design, and colour.
Oh, HEY KJP! Let's get into it. What was the inspiration behind your brand?
"I never know where to start with this one! The short-ish story is, I went to university and fell in love with screen printing and pattern design, but realised I didn’t want to work for a big brand and never get any real credit for my designs. I kept printing and creating as a little side project after graduating (without any real plan) and then eventually things took off! To be honest I still don’t know exactly where this is all going, but basically I want to make nice things for peoples' homes and do it as responsibly as possible."
We see independence as an act of resistance. What challenges do you face as an independent brand?
"Buckle up, we might be here a while… Starting out is hard because you don’t have any credibility really, so why would a customer spend their money on a brand that isn’t tried and tested? And then when you do *make it*, you’re suddenly being ripped off and copied by big brands (and also small designers who jump on the trend), so you don’t really know what to do next in case that gets copied too, and of course the majority of people only want the cheapest version, not the original.
We’ve been so spoiled by fast fashion brands (which also applies to homewares) offering us knock-off products for so cheap, that everything else seems expensive and overpriced. I’ve seen so many small stores and artists/designers close their businesses lately because it’s been a tough couple of years financially, but I really wish more people would adopt the mindset of ‘buy less but buy better’. If all the small brands get pushed out of business, who will all the big brands have left to copy?"
If you had to choose... what's your favourite KJP item right now?
"I feel like this answer could change as regularly as my underwear (which I hope goes without me saying is everyday), but right now it might be the ruffled pillow in Athena print? It could just be because it’s sat in front of me as I answer this, but I really like the combination of the graphic pattern in the ruffled grandma-style shape!"
So, what does underwear mean to you?
"Obviously we all wear it pretty much every day so it’s a necessity, but I always appreciate finding a good, everyday style that feels nice to wear and is nice to look it. And then I also love getting something a bit more cheek-y every now and then too…"
You know we like cheeky! What's your roguest pair?
"Oh gosh I feel like I basically always wear the same ones for some reason, I don’t know why I have so many? I have a pair that I remember buying the day I met my now-husband almost 11 years ago (RIP to the matching bra that was somehow easier to abandon), and I don’t know why I still have them because I barely wore them back then and I think it would take some kind of emergency for me to pull them out now… High-rise, pastel yellow, sheer and very soft from COS for those wondering!"
What are you most excited about in the world of KJP this year?
"Well first of all I’m very excited about this collaboration! But I’m also excited to continue expanding my product selection and bring out some brand new things. I’ve had a couple of slower years where I prioritised processing some things in my personal life and couldn’t focus on work properly, but it feels good to finally be excited about designing and creating again."
We're so thrilled (and a bit intimidated) to be partnering with you. Why is collaboration so important in the small business world?
"Opportunities! Collaborations can offer so much, whether it’s a new way of working or a new audience, you can learn so much from working together, especially if it’s on something that’s out of your comfort zone or regular programming.
I know I wouldn’t have grown as quickly if I wasn’t given the chance to work with a much bigger fashion brand a few years ago and, even though in hindsight I was massively underpaid and naively taken advantage of, I still learned a LOT - even if it did result in almost every high street brand and beyond ripping off my designs…"