Neighbours turned business partners, interior designer Sue Hennessy and stylist Kim Buggins, launched their homewares label Love Friday to trade last month.
The pair bonded over a mutual love of interiors when they both moved into the same Adelaide street in 2008, and the friendship evolved into a business in 2015 when they created a range of rope baskets and cushions.
Love Friday is now all about its star product, the thermo bag, which Hennessy and Buggins have spent the past two years perfecting. What started as a typical lunch bag has evolved into a versatile, insulated pouch that can be used to carry everything from food and drink to medicine and wet bathers.
The bags, which launched at Life Instyle Sydney, come in nine colourways, including patterned and plain designs, along with 13 accessories to select from.
“This allows everyone to customise their own bag,” says Hennessey. “The fabrics have been carefully chosen to ensure there is something for everyone, from new mums to working women, teenagers going to the beach, school children, travellers and new age, healthy tradesmen who take their own lunch to work.
“The thermo bag can quickly be transformed into a fold over clutch; clip on one of the handmade flower tassels and you are ready to go.”
All initial prototypes are handmade by Buggins, who now lives in Hong Kong, but ultimately both women have to love each product before it goes ahead. The biggest challenge is collaborating via Facetime, which means they need to make the most of it when they manage to meet up.
“In our limited time together the creative juices flow thick and fast,” says Hennessy. “Many decisions have to be made when we’re together, particularly whilst in Hong Kong, which is a melting pot for designers, a paradise for fabrics, textures and hardware.”
Designing products across continents has its challenges, but there are definitely perks to Buggins making Hong Kong her home base.
“Fabrics are typically sourced in the alleyways of Hong Kong; days are spent scouring hole in the wall shops, searching for that perfect fabric that matches the image in our mind.”
Next up Love Friday will be expanding the mini thermo range, which launched with a limited run last year.
By Ruth Cooper
