Designer Profile: Red Instead

Illustrator, designer and artist, multi talented Jen Leheny of shares a little of her world with us today...

My personal style is all about the things I love - print and pattern, simple but stylish, a little cheeky here and there. Over the years I have been doing this, I have tried my hand at quite a few things, including collage, painting, bag making, t-shirt printing and so on and it was all about me finding my style and what I liked doing, while working out what will sell and be a popular line.

art' card; Collage with wallpaper on canvas
I always have my eyes open, looking around at what people are wearing, their bags and accessories - how they put their look together. I love to read magazines like Real Living, Domino, Blueprint and I keep inspiration books full of tear sheets. I also save a stack of photos from the internet of things I like in an "inspiration" file. In fact, doing this has helped me work out what I love and what my style is, as I see common themes running through the tear sheets and saved images.

Hand painted ceramics
I have never studied formally and I took some time to get over that feeling of insecurity, having not had formal feedback on what I am doing. Reading books and researching online can teach you anything if you are motivated, though I think you have to have some innate abilities to draw on as well. I worked professionally in web and graphic design before I started this business, and I was self taught in that as well. I put these skills to good use, designing my own websites and designing all of my own business cards, swing tags, advertising copy, and more. I still wonder if I might like to study design or fashion at some stage in the future, hoping to get some credits for practical experience though!

Hanging mobile #4
I have dabbled in many things in the last couple of years and this was a deliberate exercise in creativity - in "letting go" and trying new things. I really enjoy collage and printing but I have found that my first and true love is sewing so that will be my main focus for now. I have been sewing since I was about 8 and professionally for 5 years and I really love fabric and turning it from a flat piece into something wearable and practical.

Cushions, patch style
When/where did you start selling your stuff?
I started this business when I was pregnant with my youngest daughter (she is now 4 1/2) and I did my first market (Bus Depot in Kingston) when I was about ready to pop! Looking back, it was a bit crazy but I guess my brain was addled with hormones or something because it seemed like a good idea at the time! I had my beautiful baby, took a little time to recoup and then did a market every fortnight for about a year... until exhaustion set in and I took a break! It was fun taking my newborn to the markets with me and my husband came along to help out with her but it was harder to find time to sew and get some sleep in, and it was usually the sleep that lost out.

Belt; Childs horse print Tshirt

Shoulder bag circles

I have always had big dreams for my business but I have had to be patient because I am also an at home mother and my kids are a high priority for me. My youngest has two full days at preschool this year and will go to full time school next year so I am excited to have some more time to focus on Red Instead in the next couple of years. Up until now, I have devoted time and energy when I can and tried to use this time well - learning and trying new things, working out production and supply, sorting out bookkeeping and all the other things that go into running a business. I have always said that taking the business slowly is excellent because I can make all my mistakes on a small scale and hopefully by the time that the kids are in school, I will have smoothed out all the problems and will be ready to take on the world!

Original Illustration "Strength"; Original Illustration "Night"

I have recently done a few markets at both Bus Depot Markets (Sundays) and Gorman House Markets (Saturdays) and I think I will do some more markets this year to try out a few new lines and get back in touch with some real time feedback. If you are in Melbourne, you can also see my things at in.cube8r and I have a goal this year to get my stuff into more stores, including Canberra.

My things are always available to buy at my online store

and you can see more about the process at my blog at

LOVING: A Bite to Eat

How Gorgeous!!! A Bite To Eat is retro heaven - with coffee (and food!).

The style is eclectic with its mismatched retro furniture, original artworks and pre-loved vintage crockery and glassware, all adding to the chilled out atmosphere.

The chilled out café/bar in Chifley has doubled in size since opening almost 3 years ago – they must be doing something right! Very groovy baby!

A Bite to Eat is at the Chifley shops, check it out.

images from Out in Canberra

Hot Designer: Amy Kerr

Talented young Canberran textiles and jewellery designer Amy Kerr took some time away from her work to tell us about her inspiration and her designs. Her brand new Hizashi label with a collection of unique earrings are already making a small splash on ETSY, take a look below...

"I would describe my personal style as an Australian/Asian hybrid: a unique blend of Australian design and Japanese aesthetic. I believe that this combination works especially well and is very much suited to the contemporary Australian lifestyle."

"The jewellery that I am currently making is a relatively new material and design for me...and I'm still very excited about it!! It has been wonderful to find a material that I can use in conjunction with my patterning. "

"These earrings each feature a segment of an original pattern that I have designed and drawn on by hand. They are lovingly handmade with particular attention to detail, and are miniature artworks in their own right."

"I am inspired by small things on a daily basis...I spot patterns everywhere I even enjoy the textured cardboard on my takeaway coffee cup!

Japan:I have been inspired by the Japanese aesthetic and all things Japanese for many years now (since I started learning the language back in 1995)...and the time that I have spent living in Japan has helped to cement this appeal.

Graphic Design: Having studied graphics for 2.5 years before transferring into Textile Design, I still have a very design based approach to my work. I LOVE typography and many of my original patterns continue to be formed and inspired by letters and lettering, both English and Japanese.

Nicola Cerini: Nicola is a Melbourne based textile designer specialising in gorgeous screen printed fabric made into a variety of handbag ranges, and who successfully runs her own business. She inspired me to make the switch from graphic design to textile design during a week of work experience that I spent with her a few years ago (but I'm not sure if I ever told her that!)

"I have just graduated from the Bachelor of Visual Arts majoring in Textile Design with ANU. I learnt so many valuable lessons during my 5.5 years at uni, but perhaps the most important has been to be guided by my instincts and to be true to myself...it is an amazing feeling to have a degree and be free to follow my own direction. It's really exciting!"

"I'm hoping to get the new etsy store Moyou, for my textiles, up and running soon. As my final year project I hand-dyed (using a traditional Japanese technique called katazome), immersion dyed and screen printed a fabric range in a variety of patterns. I then used my fabric as the inspiration for a handbag collection...designing and manufacturing the range myself.

I am hoping to begin selling these handbags, and then to branch out into further handbag styles, wallets/purses, and other accessories and homewares.The name Moyou is a Japanese word that I love, meaning pattern. It was a word that I seemed to be using in explanation on a daily basis...and it's perfectly suited to my textile ambitions!"

"In the future I would love to be able to start my own business and continue to dye, screen print, design, and make for a living. It would also be wonderful to sojourn in Japan every now and again. I'm very excited about seeing where the future will take me!"

For now though, check out Amy's Hizashi store on ETSY and her Moyou blog.

Hot Shop: Don't Tell Phyliss

UPDATED: **sobbing** Phyliss has closed - devastated

The newer sister to Braddon store Unit Concepts, 'Don't tell Phyliss' (on Kennedy st Kingston)sounds like a well kept secret, inside it is a treasure trove of all objects funky...I'll take one of everything please!

'Scales' mobile by Polli; Child shaped and doily mirrors by Lightly

The store has so many beautiful folded, cut-out, sculpted polyprop lighting.

"every cloud has a silver lining" mirror by Lightly

'Elm' earrings by Polli, Vessels by Lightly

Candlestick and Framed vases by Menu

Coolest squishy rubber vases by Menu

...and here's what I couldn't leave the store without, Small wooden Deerhead (would PETA approve?);
'Home Stickers' wall decal set - maybe for my bathroom?

and more 'home stickers' for the kids...and an A4 sized file, multi layered with different parts of an image , so gorgeous.



...and there's so much more goodliness in store, they stock top brands like Mozi, Signature Prints handbags (Florence Broadhurst fabrics), Koziol, Vynyl (more wall decals). Window 'lace' decals, Marc Newson orgone chair, Kartell, Third Draw Down (limited ed printed pillowcases and teatowels), 'Love' jewelry and much more...ahh giddy with excitement!