Through the eyes of my 4 yr old daughter, a line of colouring pencils are soldiers standing to attention; the salt and pepper shakers on the kitchen table are ballerinas, and the dog lead is her pet snake. A child’s imagination knows no limits – it doesn’t have to be breathing to be alive! As adults, living in such a serious world, we forget the innocence and carefree play of childhood. I think that’s rather sad.
It took just one glance at Karen Hollowell’s product range to bring a smile to my face… ice lolly earrings were staring at me… the chocolate sprinkle donut mirror looked, well, a bit mad! Everything in the Randomeyes Boutique has one thing in common – a pair of wiggly wobbly eyes! It’s different, it’s quirky, and it’s goo1d old-fashioned fun!
I managed to catch up with Karen recently to talk about Randomeye Boutique and to discover what kind of person conceives such a unique business!
I have to start by asking – why the eyes!?
I have always been strangely fascinated by the concept of random objects having their own personalities. As a child, I found it difficult to interact with other people due to my extreme shyness. The world was a scary place for me, and ‘friendly’ objects seemed far less intimidating than real people! One of my favourite childhood possessions was my pet stick – I believe his name was ‘Sticky’ – which I bought from a craft fair. To everyone else it was just a stick with eyes, but to me it was pure genius! I loved that stick! I suspect this planted the seed for my obsession with attaching eyes to things!
Can you tell us a bit about yourself – Karen Hollowell?
I spent the majority of my spare time drawing and making things when I was young. I never threw anything away in case it could be made into something at a later date! I especially loved drawing – it’s what I was known for all throughout my school years, and I had won over 30 art-related competitions by the time I was 16! I took a BTEC National Diploma in Graphic Design at college, followed by a BA (hons) Degree in Media Production at Lincoln University. At the time, my choice of degree was a bit of a ‘career change’ as up until then I’d been focused solely on art and graphics. But in hindsight it was the ideal choice, as it gave me the additional skills needed to be able to run virtually every aspect of my business by myself, including setting up my own website, designing the logo and graphics, taking (and editing) the stock images and creating all of the promotional material.
Listen to your heart, not your critics. If there’s something you’re passionate about, just go for it!
Tell us about Randomeyes Boutique. When and how did the business come about?
I can’t recall the exact moment when I first stuck eyes onto something and turned it into a piece of jewellery, but I have been unable to work (in the traditional sense) for several years now due to depression and anxiety related mental health problems, so I got back into arts and crafts for the therapeutic benefits a couple of years ago. I’d not had the time to continue with my childhood hobby up until this point, so I found a solace in returning to something that had been such a huge part of my life when I was growing up. I made sock monsters for a while, which I donated to a local Red Cross shop, then tried my hand at jewellery making. To begin with I used standard beads, but I soon became bored of the fact that there was nothing particularly unique about my designs… nothing that made them stand out. That’s when the Randomeyes Boutique style began to emerge!
Is the business just you, or do you have ‘staff’?
It’s predominantly just me, although my family and friends have stepped in during busy (or stressful!) times to give me a helping hand. I have a good network of support when I need it, so even though it’s my own business I like to think of it as a team effort!
What did you do work-wise before starting Randomeyes Boutique?
As soon as I graduated from university I got the job of Craft Show Co-ordinator at Ideal World Television, where I was responsible for setting up the studio before each show and making samples out of the products they were promoting on air. I then took some time out to travel around Australia, but unfortunately it wasn’t long after my return to the UK that the predominantly seasonal nature of my mental health problems started to affect my ability to commit to a ‘normal’ job, so I concentrated on developing my skills to enable me to work for myself!
Do you run your business from home? Describe your office/work space?
My business is split between my own home and a studio in my parents’ home, which used to be my bedroom as a child. I tend to do the majority of the admin and design work from my own home, and I make the products and package them up in the studio. It can get a little messy there at times, but I like to think of it as organised chaos!
Describe a typical working day
As soon as I get up I check my emails and my Facebook and Twitter accounts – it usually takes at least an hour to catch up with everything on these. I then head over to the studio to package up any orders I have, ready to take to the Post Office. I make sure I update my accounts each time I make a sale so that I don’t get bogged down with too much paperwork at the end of the week! The rest of the day depends on what needs doing most urgently – I’ll either work on some graphics if I have any advertisements coming up, edit product photos, make more stock, source charms/parts or start working on new ideas for future designs. No two days are the same really, as new tasks crop up all the time.
Describe your range of products, as it’s more than just jewellery.
I started out with just earrings, necklaces and bracelets, but I wanted Randomeyes Boutique to be accessible to both male and female customers. So I decided to include unisex accessories too, such as keyrings, magnets, mobile charms and pins. I introduced the hair slides a few weeks later, and the mirrors were the most recent addition – and a very popular one at that!
You refer to your alternative jewellery as ‘Gumball Jewellery’. What does this mean?
‘Gumball’ is the generic name of the specific type of vintage charm that was originally found as a ‘prize’ in gumball vending machines during the 1960s and 70s. There are many different varieties, some from as early as the 1940s, but the ones I use tend to be based around American advertising (such as the chocolate bars and soda cans/cups). Not all of my charms are classed as ‘gumball’, but those that are are genuine vintage collectibles, so their availability is limited!
You also refer to your items possessing a ‘Kawaii’ influence. What is this, and where did your interest in it come from?
The word ‘kawaii’ is an extremely popular style within Japanese culture, meaning cute, lovely, adorable, charming, or sweet. In terms of art, the kawaii style commonly takes the form of a simply illustrated object (usually food or drink related) with a distinctive face – usually consisting of two far-spaced round black eyes and a black semi-circular mouth just slightly below them. I have been interested in Japanese culture for the majority of my life, partly because of their use of bold, bright colours, partly because of a shared fascination with miniature versions of things…but mainly because of the sheer randomness of it all! The kawaii influence of my products can be seen in the fact that they are random objects with eyes (hence the name ‘Randomeyes’ Boutique!). But rather than make traditional kawaii jewellery, I wanted to create something completely unique, which is where the idea came about to combine the kawaii style with gumball charms in my own Randomeyes Boutique way!
“I have been interested in Japanese culture for the majority of my life, partly because of their use of bold, bright colours, partly because of a shared fascination with miniature versions of things…but mainly because of the sheer randomness of it all!”
Many of your charms are food and drink based. There are thousands of Gumball styles, so how do you choose which charms to produce items from? Where does your inspiration come from?
I don’t have a specific method when it comes to choosing the charms, I just do plenty of research until something catches my eye (no pun intended!) A smile will creep across my face when I spot something that I feel would be improved with the addition of some eyes, and that’s generally how I select the charms! I get a lot of comments from people telling me how much my jewellery makes them smile, so this method has served me well!
As Gumball is a predominantly American concept, is it possible (or impossible) to source charms based on UK brands (e.g. Cadbury, Mars rather than Baby Ruth chocolate bar etc)?
The difficulty with this is that the American chocolate bars and drinks I use are genuine vintage collectibles, which were produced for advertising purposes by the brands themselves. I have searched far and wide for different designs, yet the same selection keep cropping up time and time again. Genuine gumball charms are always these same brands. It is possible to find British alternatives, but these are not genuine or endorsed by the brand – people have just made them themselves. But in my opinion this is copyright infringement, and not something I’m prepared to be a part of. I’d love to be able to include a whole range of British products as I think they’d look amazing with eyes, but reproducing someone else’s logo or design is wrong…certainly morally, if not legally, so I won’t be doing this. However, I am thinking of designing my own range of ‘Random Brand’ products to use as charms at some point, so watch this space…
What is your most popular product/product type in terms of sales numbers?
The ice lolly earrings, necklaces and bracelets are all extremely popular, and I can see this becoming even more evident as we approach summer! The mirrors are also very popular, particularly the donuts and Oreos. I introduced the mirrors at the Clothes Show Live and they all sold out within the first few days!
Who do you sell most items to/what market (teenagers, adults etc)?
The market for Randomeyes Boutique products is actually quite varied. Teenagers and students are probably the largest market, but many older customers buy my items for gifts. People of any age or gender who have a colourful, quirky, unconventional personality also buy my products. This is the category I fit into, so I like to think I have a good understanding of what makes them tick!
Have you had any celebrity customers? Can you give names?
Not as yet, although I did give a keyring to X-Factor 2008 finalist Austin Drage…
does this count?! [Ed: “Who? No!”]
I got a phone call from someone from the Clothes Show Live who had come across my website, loved my products, and wanted me to hold a stall at their event
You had a stand at the Clothes Show Live at the NEC at the end of last year. How did this come about, and what was the experience like?
It’s actually because of the Clothes Show Live that Randomeyes Boutique became a proper business! It’s kind of a fluke how it all happened really…although perhaps it was fate?! Initially I had been making the jewellery for my own amusement and I had set up a basic website, just to showcase it really. I didn’t have the funds (or the confidence) to advertise it, and I had decided not to renew my website when the contract ended. However, the day before it was due to expire I got a phone call from someone from the Clothes Show Live who had come across my website, loved my products, and wanted me to hold a stall at their event. My parents had seen me struggle to keep my head above water for so long and knew how hard I’d worked to try and find my ‘niche’ in life, so they took a leap of faith and helped me to fund the cost of the stall. They also came with me, along with my sister, to help me throughout the event – and it was the most amazing experience of my entire life! The first day was really scary as I’d gone from seeing only a handful of people on a regular basis to being surrounded by thousands, but I got so many positive comments that it really boosted my confidence within a matter of hours! Up until this point I’d always felt ashamed of being ‘different’, but now I’m proud of who I am and I wouldn’t change it for the world! Needless to say, I did renew my website contract!
You support the charity Mind; any specific reason for this?
Without the support of the mental health services (and my friends, family and boyfriend, Matt) I wouldn’t be where I am today, if indeed here at all. I wanted to be able to give something back to the people who’ve helped me along the way, and help raise funds for people facing similar difficulties. I’ve also met some of my most interesting and inspirational friends through the mental health services, so I understand the importance of the sense of ‘community’ that such charities provide. There is still a lot of stigma attached to mental health problems, so I wanted to help raise awareness and show that there’s no shame in having a mental illness. I actually think that Randomeyes Boutique developed BECAUSE of my mental health problems, not despite them!
What are your business ambitions for 2011, and where do you hope to be 3-5 years from now?
The website will be getting a makeover later in the year, and I will be adding some new limited edition and one-of-a-kind products soon. Further down the line I am planning to branch out into clothing and stationery, using graphics which will be based around the charms. I’d like to say that world domination is on the cards in 5 years time, but I think that may be a little over-ambitious…
What advice would you give someone embarking on a creative business?
Listen to your heart, not your critics. If there’s something you’re passionate about, just go for it! You can never please everyone, so there’s no point in trying to – as long as you love what you do then there’s a good chance that plenty of other people will too. You just have to make sure that you make your products visible to your target market, and remain passionate about whatever it is you do.
What is the ‘best bit’ about being part of Randomeyes Boutique?
The best part for me is knowing that there are people out there wearing items that I have designed and created myself. It’s a feeling of social acceptance and pride. I’ve faced a fair bit of criticism along the way, but the thought that there are so many people out there who love what I do makes it all worthwhile. Randomeyes Boutique is more than just a business to me – it represents the turning point in my life where I finally became proud of my individuality.
Just for Fun
If you had the leading role in a hit movie, what film would you be in, and why?
I think I’d probably be the kid in About A Boy (although the name would need to be changed to About A Girl!) He faced a lot of ridicule and bullying from his peers for being different and a little ‘odd’. But he stayed true to himself, rose above the negativity, and ended up with a small but strong network of people around him who loved him and appreciated him for who he was. I identify with him in many respects, although I’d like to think I have slightly better dress sense!
You are planning a dinner party to impress – what would you serve as the main course and dessert?
If I was trying to impress then we’d have to go to a restaurant… have you tasted my cooking? Obviously not, or you wouldn’t be here to read this!
Who would you invite to this meal (famous, non-famous, alive or dead)?
Stephen Fry for the conversation, Seth MacFarlane for the humour, the Dalai Lama to keep the peace, and a few friends and family for moral support!
You’ve won the lottery (congratulations!) What would be your first purchase?
A house would be my first purchase. Nothing too fancy, just so long as it has a garden I’d be happy. Then the rest of the money would be spent on the most unique, random, bizarre decor and furnishings I could find! Visitors would probably have to wear sunglasses indoors to shield their eyes from all craziness, but that’s the way I’d like it!
What is your dream holiday/holiday destination?
I’ve already been there – Whitehaven Beach in Australia. It’s the most awe-inspiring place I’ve ever seen, just like stepping into a postcard! I really want to go back there some day. I’d also love to visit Japan to get some first-hand experience of their kawaii culture!
Sum up your personality in five words…
Creative, contemplative, unconventional, caring… and random!
There are over 100 Randomeye Boutique products looking for new homes right now over in Karen’s WowThankYou store. How can you ignore those poor little eyes desperate for your attention? Treat yourself, or buy as a gift to make someone smile… go one, pop over and take a look…
