Maryke Harper
Maryke Harper is the creator and owner at Kolle Textiles where the aim is to create gorgeous, high-quality products using her own original designs. She’s passionate about the environment and for that reason, she has sourced 100% certified fair trade cotton. Her reusable bowl covers and beeswax wraps reduce the need for single-use plastics. The use of quality materials, including professional textile paints which are guaranteed a lifetime, makes her products durable and long-lasting. All Kolle products are designed and printed by hand with the traditional method of silkscreen printing, making it unique and authentic.
“Trust your instinct, have faith in your own unique style - as great as it is to soundboard ideas, it’s important to not take all input on board as it can blur your authenticity.”
Tell us about your path to setting up your business and what motivated you?
As a little girl, Maryke spent endless days playing with offcuts of fabric and admiring her mother’s beautiful quilting work and became infatuated with fabric and textiles. Having a career in design and textiles was just a natural path for her. Having to put many of her creative ideas on hold for the last 7 years to have a family, the time has finally come to put ideas into action so she started silk screen printing some textiles during the Covid lockdown time and it’s been going from strength to strength.
How do you work and what is a typical day like for you?
The Kolle studio is set up at Maryke’s home in Gorey and she spends her days mixing inks to come up with eye-catching colors, designing patterns, and hand printing all her products. She recently started working with the amazing guys at Lab 6 in St Ouens providing her with technical support for burning large screens and collaborating on some fabulous new ideas for keeping the traditional art of silkscreen printing alive. She also sews most of her products.
What are the best parts about your business?
The rhythm and methodology of her work are what makes her world go round. Her designs are constantly changing and she works with small batches of color which makes all her products limited editions, rarely printing more than ten of the same designs and color combinations at a time.
The goal is to introduce fresh and striking designs often and this is what makes Kolle such an exciting venture, ever-evolving and continuously bringing new products to her followers and clients.
Maryke also does commission work for interior designers and private clients who prefer a personal touch in their homes.
Designing and making her own branding and packaging is another aspect of the business she enjoys.
What has been your greatest struggle as a business owner so far?
Learning to be patient and not cram a lifetimes’ worth of work into a day. Maryke’s had to learn to simply close the studio door to spend time with family and friends.
What has been your biggest a-ha moment so far?
Learning that there’s a space in this world for all creative genres and that if you trust your style, stay true to yourself and follow your heart you will create something beautiful for people to admire.
Do you have any advice for other small business owners?
Your clients are the most important people on this planet when you have your own business. Nothing is more valuable to a small business than a happy client.
Searching for inspiration can easily become procrastination. Trust your instinct, have faith in your own unique style - as great as it is to soundboard ideas, it’s important to not take all input on board as it can blur your authenticity.
