Kathryn King Designs: How it all began; an origins story…
I love a good origins story!
Having undergone a few personal and career changes, largely due to being diagnosed with anxiety about 10 years ago, I decided in June last year I wanted to make something I really loved and could feel really proud of. I was starting to get a better handle on my condition, was beginning to rekindle old friendships and develop new ones, and the idea of making something ‘friendship-inspired’ felt right.
I thought back to the friendship bracelets I loved to make as a child. I thought back to the friendship bracelet I bought for my husband on our first holiday together (a bracelet he wore until the last strand snapped, despite ‘not wearing jewellery’!). I thought back to the friends I had lost and the new ones I had made and I decided friendship bracelets seemed like a good fit. But not just any old friendship bracelet – this had to be special.
I started researching. I came across lots of variations on the theme and finally decided on the style of bracelet I wanted to make:
- It had to be something I really wanted to wear myself
- It had to be size inclusive – I wanted everyone to feel welcome and that there was a friend here for them to find
- I had to enjoy making it – otherwise what’s the point?
- It had to be personalisable in some way – friendships are personal and each one is different, so my bracelets had to have a way to express this
- It had to be relaxed in style – to feel like an ‘old friend’
- It had to be ‘go anywhere, with anything’ – just like your best friend!
While researching, I came across Miyuki beads. These were not just any beads – Miyuki cube beads! Uniform in shape, the very best quality and available in a huge range of colours and finishes – I was hooked. I have always loved symmetry and uniformity, and stringing the cube beads next to each other with a perfect fit gave me such an enormous sense of satisfaction. I had found my thing #HipToBeSquare
Each bracelet takes about three hours to complete, with each delicate bead being carefully strung by hand.
This ‘friendship bracelet idea’ developed into the creation of my Signature Wrap Bracelet and from there has become the inspiration for a whole range of coming soon, versatile collections designed with you in mind. Making it easy for everyone to put pieces together secure in the knowledge everything goes with everything else – ensuring you’re totally prepared for anything life throws at you.
So, check out our latest designs and let me know what you think.
KATHRYN xxx