Have you ever wondered about the flower garlands you see in photos from Hawaii? They are called leis and tied together with a needle and thread in various forms, traditionally given on festive occasions, such as birthdays, graduation and performances.
The tradition of how it is given to someone varies according to what is deemed appropriate for the occasion directing which type of flowers, seashells, nuts or feathers, colors and how they are tied together are chosen. Each flower can represent a memory one has had in relation to the other person or wants to have. It's simply to celebrate!
Making leis in Sweden, however, is almost impossible during the winter season because of the lesser availability of flowers and their prices, so I decided to make my own out of bamboo instead to have as an alternative necklace, shaped like a real lei.
I choose bamboo because it represents strength, stability, spirit and eco-friendliness with a prosperous feeling to it that is classy and timeless, while being light to wear and suitable both for women and men. My intention is to sell these at a large scale throughout the Hawaiian islands and other similar places like Indonesia, Philippines, Thailand and India, as well as at international airports.
The design is made to resemble a Plumeria - a Frangipani flower - that I find beautiful in scent, shape, size and form and because it has five petals which each can represent a natural element for my concept. After sketching a little on my own and asking around to find someone to make one, I found Mårten Ubbe at Nyréns Architects late last year, who makes model houses in wood (which might come in handy for Telluselle Living Center too). He enabled me to create a way the bamboo lei can be manufactured and put together, which is a must when you think business and what will become the real prototype behind the design (not shown). Now it is time to develop this further by locating more bamboo and someone who can do many in a cost-efficient manner to see if it can be sold for a reasonable price including the distribution, marketing, labor and material.
The best ideas always require input by someone else to work and come to fruition and to me this is what true collaboration is about; to allow another person's talent and skills become a respected contribution with trust in his or her ability. This is really the secret behind the creative process (and part of working in advertising for example) which in nature creates a similar synergy one can find in a coaching dialogue, for you to explore and experience with me when you buy my services.
Together, we can create beauty between people.