2019-05-01 Your Home and Garden

InterviewbySallyConor.

Photographyby Sarah Rowlands.

MeetMirandaOsborne,the

creativemind,designvisionary

andbusinessbrainbehind

go-toChristchurchfurniture

brand Ico Traders

Whatisyourworkbackground?Mycareerhas

beena mixedbag.Afteronlya yearofarttraining,

I decidedtobeanartistfulltime.I thentooka job

asa textiledesigner,designingtextilesandhelping

tobuyrangesofcurtainfabric.Thisamazing

opportunityallowedmetotravelandgavemethe

skillstodesigntextileswhenI livedinLondon.

Somewherealongtheline,I switchedfromfabrics

toclothingandspentseveralyearsworkinginthe

fashionindustry,whichinturnledmetobuyingand

dealing more and more with overseas factories.

WhatwastheinspirationbehindIcoTraders?

Whatmadeyoutaketheleapandstartyourown

business?TheChristchurchearthquakeswerethe

kickerforme.I wastravellingoverseasa lot(infact,

I hadjustlandedinSanFranciscowhenthefirst

earthquakehit),I hadtwoyoungdaughtersandmy

jobandfamilylifewereprettydamnedbusy.The

earthquakesmademere-evaluatewhatwas most

important– andthatwasmyfamily.

I thoughtthatif I wasgoingtobusta gut,then

it mayaswellbeformyself,soI couldbuilda career

thatfittedaroundfamilylife.Mygoalwastofinda

goodfactorywitha goodunderstandingofdesign,

andoneI couldbuilda reallysolidrelationshipwith

thatworkedforbothparties.I amhappytosaythat,

whileit tooka yearortwo,I havetrulysucceededin

thismission.Thepeopleatmyfactoryareawesome;

theyareproactiveindesigning,patientwith my

changes and have become true friends.

WOMENWELOVE

Mover

& maker

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