It’s been a long road for Adelaide designer and artist Tiff Manuell, but finally her colourful and vibrant clutches and accessories are brightening up wardrobes around the world. Still, she remains as humble, inspired and passionate as ever about her craft.
Between her showcase at the Tate Modern Gallery in London, and her Adelaide Fashion Festival pop up store, Tiff is also working with Bright Rays, a competition run by Mini Australia to mentor and support young artists. It’s an opportunity Tiff says describes as a bit of a no brainer. “I am happy to be part of it, a huge start for anyone. Young people usually have a strict budget and or nothing, so it’s a real kick start,” she says.
It isn’t a surprise Tiff was approached to be a part of the competition. Because of her creative and entrepreneurial background she has real experience and an understanding of what it takes to build successfully in the creative industry. “I am really passionate about young people and giving them some of that self belief,” she adds. “When I first started my very first business, my partner and I had a tiny unit and worked three jobs to live there. We made plenty of sacrifices that ultimately resulted in giving Happy House (the business) a chance to succeed. It was such a risk at the time because I didn’t have any business experience; I would pick up things along the way. I knew basics but it is such a big learning curve.”
A photo posted by Tiff Manuell (@tiffmanuell) on
Today, Tiff’s namesake brand is a hand made and painted affair that has had a lot of love put into it, and it’s clear that each individual piece has something special and unique, especially evident because no two items are the same. True to the individuality of all the pieces, the way she runs her business is equally fascinating. Rejecting the strict and stress inducing make-up of typical business structures, Tiff has created a more organic model unique to her.
“We are not a straight forward business, we don’t really set rules and we aren’t a typical business,” said Tiff. “I am holding it back almost, I just want to have nice life balance. I want to do the job I love doing the most which is painting. I don’t want to manage people and customers, I want to manage what I love the most, so this business I want it to be small and I want to continue loving it everyday.”
Carry your art on your sleeve ………. 🙂
A photo posted by Tiff Manuell (@tiffmanuell) on
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A photo posted by Tiff Manuell (@tiffmanuell) on
It’s clear this organic and free style is exemplified in her creations; you can sense when you look at the product that is been cared for and thought out. “Occasionally someone asks do we really need to label all these bags? And I say yes we do, because there are so many products out there that are complete replicas of each other and the one highlight I think that we have for our products is they are not replicated.” Individuality is something everyone strives for in one way or another, and Tiff understands that her customers want to choose a design “based on their own intuition of their love for colour, rather than be told it’s very fashionable.”
Making her bags is a very labour intensive operation but ultimately a joy for Tiff, who goes to work happy, knowing she is doing her passion. She never gets bored of her work because everyday is different, every design and pattern, there is no repetition because she doesn’t want there to be. She wants the feeling of creative freedom that comes naturally to her, and puts effort into making sure her customers are always happy with product quality.
The most interesting thing about her products is her process. Tiff handprints the designs on canvas sourced from India, and depending on the results she wants she will either leave it to dry on the table for precision, or to get a droopy, looser result she will hang it on a wall. It all depends on how she feels about the painting and the affect she wants. “It comes naturally and its my happy place,” she says, and the whole process gives her immense joy.
Late night studio work. Obvious love for these colours at the moment.
A photo posted by Tiff Manuell (@tiffmanuell) on
In store Tiff’s draws you in; people often admiring each each as you would a painting in an art gallery. It makes sense that the Tate Modern Gallery in London would want to approach Tiff to sell in their gallery. She reflects on her partnership with them as really easy going. “To be able to be in that standard of store anywhere in the world; it doesn’t matter if Sydney, here or any capital, it’s such an amazing opportunity. I think that type of calibre of store is what we are really aiming at, we are not sort of aiming to be another clutch bag in a fashion store.”
Colour for your weekend parties.
A photo posted by Tiff Manuell (@tiffmanuell) on
It is evident that the label is generating a wave of mass following and her 40.4 K Instagram followers prove that. For pieces that have such a humble bravado (quiet confidence) they really capture the allure of a dynamic customer base. This is exemplified in a story Tiff shares about a lawyer who brought her vibrant Tiff laptop case to a serious meeting. “I think the contrast of that shows a little bit of personality in a more serious nature.” This illustrates how these small pieces of art are finding their way into worlds that do not typically facilitate a creative environment, brightening up the demure palate of the corporate tenor. Proving anyone can enjoy her products from 18 year old girls on a nights out in town (her own daughter is the culprit in this instance), business women, fashionistas, art lovers and even men (particularly fabulous gents, that is). After all, everyone loves colour, and the composition within Tiff’s designs ignite a sense of happiness and energy often lost within the unrelenting rhythm of our lives.
It is worth checking out her pop up store for the Adelaide Fashion Festival this month, or visiting her store in Unley to see her invigorating bags and accessories. We are so lucky in Adelaide to have easy access to these special creations, and there is no doubt that the Adelaide staple will have an ever-growing consumer base and longevity.
Tiff Manuell will take part in the ‘Ready To Wear’ Runway on Friday 21 October as part of the Adelaide Fashion Festival. To see the full list of designers taking part, and to buy tickets, head to the Adelaide Fashion Festival website.
To discover more about Tiff Manuell, visit her website or follow the label on Facebook and Instagram.
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