Sometimes when you read a slogan it sounds a bit pretentious and fake. In the case of Mini Moderns, their tag line, "Made in the UK by nice people" is totally apt: they really are Nice People.
I first came across the home decor brand at the beginning of this year at a trade show, having been immediately attracted to their stand courtesy of the Buddha of Suburbia collection which was making it's debut. I was particularly drawn to their 'Darjeeling' pattern and have closely followed their, what seems rather rapid, progress to Future Classic status ever since.
When I discovered that the founders of my New Favourite Brand, Keith Stephenson and Mark Hampshire, were to be speaking at the upcoming Crafty Fox talk I excitedly booked my ticket faster than you could say 'mid-century'.
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| Keith Stephenson (left) and Mark Hampshire |
Keith and Mark met in 1997 while working at a branding agency but soon discovered that the politics that goes with such a corporate environment was not for them. After pursuing other careers in TV (Mark) and fashion (Keith) they launched Mini Moderns in 2006.
Their collections have a distinct mid-century feel but inspiration comes from an eclectic mix of nostalgia, literature and travel - particularly their refurbished railway carriage home on Britain's only classified desert, Dungeness.
At the event, Keith and Mark talked with honesty, openness and humour. It is easy to see why they have built such strong relationships with suppliers and stockists but I particularly admire their hands-on approach to the business. In my eyes they have created exactly what I would want my brand to be - a first collection snapped up by Heals, lauded in respected titles such as Elle Decoration and with stockists worldwide - but they remain a small team of three (with assistant Charlotte), packing up orders themselves, politely answering all emails personally and tweeting kind words of thanks to anyone who contacts them.
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| 'Darjeeling' cushion, £45 |
They seem genuinely baffled as to why all this success is happening to them, constantly referring to themselves as 'lucky', but it is testament to who they are as people as to why they have garnered such respect in the interiors world. They never set out to build an empire, just to do something that they were passionate about. They set themselves goals, not in a monetary sense but in terms of what they would like to produce: when a paint manufacturer complimented their wallpaper, they reciprocated. Now they have their own range of paint, something that, at the beginning, seemed impossible.
The pair are also committed to helping young designers and recently collaborated with a select few on the Remix Project hosted by the East London Design Store.
With the Mini Moderns brand rapidly entering the wider consciousness Mark and Keith have their work cut out but, with a new collection, Hinterland, launching next year it is a race they are definitely winning. Who said nice guys always finish last?
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| 'Whitby' Wallpaper - £45 |
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| Paint range, £5 for 250ml. |
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| 'Festival' Porcelain Espresso Set, £20. |
Photos from minimoderns.com
The new collection, Hinterland, launches in 2014.
