Janine Lawrie always had a penchant for vibrant colours and patterns.

She is the force behind Australian label Jiniku, and she has dedicated herself to injecting a bit of style and fun into our wardrobes. She designs all of the clothing herself, as well as several of the fabric prints for the label. She also uses some gorgeous Echino Kokka fabrics for part of the range. Jiniku’s emphasis is on quality materials, style and design, and its mission is to create styles that work for everybody, which means  if you are over 30, it is still flattering. (Oh yes, LOVE those dresses!)

Janine’s fabric designs demonstrate equal parts boldness and whimsy, with a bit of by mid century inspiration thrown in. She loves clear, bright colours, clean lines, and grids. And bunnies.

 

jiniku collection 2011. black & white bunnies

jiniku collection 2012. red & orange

 

She originally worked as a graphic designer, and then went to live in Europe and travelled around for a bit before deciding that that was not her final destination.

“The idea of designing fabric and making clothes has been a dream of mine for a long time. 
The seed was sown after endless trips to the shops with my friend, returning items because the shape, shade of colour, stitching, you name it, was not quite right. We would laugh and talk about running our own business so we could tweak and improve upon the clothes we had been taking back. We both worked in graphic design, and I had built up a successful small business at the time.  Then my family and I moved back to Australia.  There is nothing like a move to the other end of the world to make you rethink your life. I thought this was the perfect time to reinvent myself.  So I did!  It took me 6 months to feel human again after our move and then it took another year to do all my research and finalise my designs. Jiniku began trading from November 2010.

 

jiniku collection 2012. teal, orange & brown

 

I also asked Janine about her formative years, and why she chose her creative path.

“My mum and I were always making things, sewing, knitting, flower arranging, sculpture etc.  I remember we had a huge table in the garage which was always full of clippings, fabrics, trimmings and half made projects. Luckily we could leave it all out and continue the next day.  She taught me everything I know, and I would take that knowledge and do things my own way. “Try to slow down”, I can hear her saying. My mum was a perfectionist, everything she made was beautiful. I on the other hand, needed to work fast, no time for tacking – just straight in and full throttle.  I needed to be wearing the item by the afternoon.

Although my mum was my main influence, it is because of my dad that I am never afraid to try something new and go it alone. He was Romanian and was pretty much left to bring himself up from a very early age.  He always ran his own business and had a million projects on the go. So you could say it is in my blood.”

 

jiniku collection 2011. squares and spots. lime & charcoal

 

jiniku collection 2012. avocado & fuschia

Running your own business is never smooth sailing. I asked Janine what she found the most difficult.

“The biggest obstacle is producing the items that will sell.  I like creating designs and patterns which I love and simply go for it.  But for me the hardest part is making those final decisions without being able to bounce ideas off another person.

However, my aim is as I get more popular, to become braver, break through my constraints and be free. One day I was wearing one of my sample shirts which was bright green and steely blue.  For me they were just right but very bright.  I asked all my friends what they thought – was it too bright for Melbourne?  Would people buy it? etc etc.  They all suggested it would be safer to tone it down.  This was not what I wanted to hear of course because I loved my shirt.  I had come from Europe where people wear a lot of colour.  There I would go with my instincts – but Melbourne had thrown me. Then that night, a much younger woman said she loved my shirt and I told her my dilemma.  She said ‘you are an artist and you have to be true to your heart, go with your gut’.  She was 24 and I am, well, a little older!  Somehow I had lost my way and she had brought me back to the right path.”


Janine counts as her inspirations Orla Kiely and Tricia Guild.  Both are well known for their use of fabulous colour. She especially loves Orla – “Her patterns are bold, clean and simple. What I admire about her is that she is brave, she designs from her gut and brings everyone along with her.  Really, I would love to be her.”

 

 

jiniku skirt - echino panther

 

And finally, I asked Janine if she would like to share a favourite part of her house with us.

She sent this.  “This is my lovely cabinet that has moved with us to Europe and back again and on its shelves are my treasured collections from friends and family.”

 

'my shelf'' - jiniku

 

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You can find Jiniku at jiniku.com.au.

I would like to thank Janine for sharing her words and images here.