This week we chat to the gorgeous Stacey Jones of cool-and-colourful leather satchels brand, Thick as Thieves…
This week we chat to the gorgeous Stacey Jones of cool-and-colourful leather satchels brand, Thick as Thieves…
How did you begin Thick as Thieves?
I was back in the UK last year and noticed satchels were trending unbelievably in London so I established the brand when I returned to NZ. I felt that NZ deserved its own brand of the beautiful retro classic! When you are just starting out, the hardest thing is getting your brand out there. When people see our satchels, they absolutely love them but with so much noise in the market, it’s often hard to be heard. I have a huge amount of admiration for brands like Kathryn Wilson or Deadly Ponies. It inspires me that everyone starts small.
Can you tell us about your background?
I’m British and grew up in London in the 80s and 90s, which was an amazing time to be there. Fashion has always played a part in my life – one of my earliest memories was refashioning a yellow balaclava into a mini dress aged 4! After studying amongst the dreaming spires of Oxford, I moved to the Big Smoke and cat-landed a job at one of London’s top advertising agencies working on brands like Sony and French Connection. That gave me a good understanding of the creative process and how to build a loveable brand. In the spring of 2010, I left the bright lights of the city armed with the need for an adventure, a bagful of creativity and slice of what not to do. Thick As Thieves is the living expression of those three beautiful things.
Who designs the satchels and where are they made?
The satchels are based on a really classic design – I have tried to keep all the retro cues because I believe that’s what makes them so iconic and loveable. We have a few classic colours like brown, black and red and then we add a couple of new colours for each season – this summer it’s pink and green for a big burst of colour. Our samples and small runs are made in Hong Kong and then the larger scale making in Mainland China. We’ve just got back from a trip through China taking in the large centres. The level of sophistication is amazing and we find this is reflected in the craftsmanship quality of the satchels.
Any interesting anecdotes or challenges you’ve had along the way?
Having your own brand definitely requires a good dose of tenacity, the ability to adapt to new things and belief in what you are doing. My role involves lots of different skills and I try to do as much as I can myself – design, marketing… even the accounting! Sometimes that can be incredibly challenging as you are constantly having to learn new things however that also comes with an amazing sense of achievement. I heard a great quote recently that really struck a cord – “You can’t do anything about the length of your life, but you can do something about its width and depth.” If I weren’t doing Thick As Thieves, I’m not sure it would feel as poignant.
What are you dreams with the brand?
My vision is build an enduring love mark that is associated with beautiful design that lasts a lifetime. At the moment, the focus is on satchels because I think there is huge scope to take the idea in lots of different directions, using different materials, designs and colours.
Lastly, where can we buy them!
You can visit our website at www.thickasthieves.co.nz. We also have 10 stockists through the North Island – here’s a link to Thick As Thieves stockists.
www.facebook.com/nzthickasthieves and sign up for Thick As Thieves e-newsletter for special offers and competitions here.
23 December 2013
Megan Robinson
Leave a Reply