The Big Design Trade is known for its highly curated selection of original and ethically made gifts and design.
Returning on 28 to 30 July 2022 at Meat Market in North Melbourne, more than 100 brands will be showcasing an array of products that are unique to The Big Design Trade including Can’t Find It?, Curious Llama and Kakadu Plum Co.
Can’t Find It?
“The brand was born in 2008, alongside the birth of my daughter,” says principal Nina Buckley.
“Coming from a retailing and entrepreneurial family, and having worked in and around the retail and wholesale industries my whole life, I knew that the Australasian market was missing many key products, especially those that were well designed, high quality and on-trend, but more importantly were also socially and sustainably responsible.
“We want to make a difference, supporting brands and products that are helping to shift consumerism into a new realm, one that is artisanal, ethical and eco-friendly.”
With the massive seismic shift across the world that has been the pandemic, Can’t Find It? pivoted to adjust its offering to a more design focused gift selection, across all price points.
“The Big Design team are well known for being specialists in this artisanal and design-focused niche throughout Australia, so we felt it is the best fit for our current collection,” adds Buckley.
Brands to be on display at the show include Blabla Kids, an iconic US brand which has been creating cotton toys and décor for over 20 years. Ethically handmade in Peru, these quirky characters gained instant popularity worldwide and have been featured in many popular movies and TV shows like Friends since the 90s.
Discover Studio Roof’s range of vibrant 3D wall art and objects that are ethically and sustainably made from recycled cardboard and printed with plant-based inks.
We Dream in Colour is a black-owned, self-funded, independent jewellery line with a focus on sustainability. Designed by founder Jade Gedeon, each and every piece is hand-assembled by an all-women team in Salem (USA).
Curious Llama
This stationery brand was launched in 2015 after creative director Louise Ayres saw a gap in the market for quality Australian-made stationery. Always a lover of lists combined with a graphic design career which started in publishing, gave Ayres the drive to launch her first collection.
“Featuring distinctive colour combinations on products that are designed to make organisation and productivity easier, our stationery is printed in Melbourne/Naarm,” she explains.
“Purchasing with us means that you support a minimum of three Australian businesses—our family business, our local printers and a local charity, as we proudly donate five per cent of stationery sales to charitable organisations each year.”
Curious Llama’s range currently includes Adorn (planners and notepads), greeting cards, Kinfolk goal setting selection, Bambusa notepad and planner collection, and Botanica notebook collection.
Kakadu Plum Co
Founder Tahlia Mandie launched the company six years ago when everyone in Melbourne was going crazy for Matcha and Acai and seeking superfoods from around the world to be healthy.
“I instinctively knew about our bush foods and that we have the oldest foods on earth growing in our country, so I wondered why we were not using and celebrating our own superfoods,” she says.
“I discovered the Kakadu Plum, which has the highest source of natural vitamin C in the world, connected to Traditional Owners and Aboriginal communities who wildharvest it, and brought this amazing fruit and product to the market and into Australian kitchens.
“Six years later, it is still Australia’s hero superfood and we have grown to celebrate the many more amazing bush food ingredients we have growing in our country with our extensive range of foods and spices,” Mandie adds.
Kakadu Plum Co is launching its new gifting range at the show including the new chocolate gift set, food hamper box and olive oil twin set.
“We are also showcasing some amazing new products in the giftware and homeware space as well as obviously having our core range of herbs and spices on display for everyone to see and try.
“Our amazing handmade chocolate with native ingredients will also be on offer for tasting as well as the opportunity to have a yarn with me and learn more about these incredible ingredients, stories and culture,” enthuses Mandie.
Don’t miss these and many other exciting and unique brands and register here for The Big Design Trade.
Related News
