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28 <strong>Magazine</strong> | Feature<br />
Quite a number of your designs, including the wood<br />
pieces, are made in Christchurch…<br />
Yes – we work closely with Christchurch craftspeople to<br />
create original designs exclusive to Ico Traders. All of our<br />
cushions and chair pads are made here in Christchurch<br />
too, and a few of our smaller metal designs are made<br />
here too.<br />
Lately you’ve been strongly focused on sustainability<br />
across the business…<br />
Ico Traders is only a small company, but I care deeply<br />
about this issue and I know that lots of small companies<br />
can add up to big numbers of people making changes.<br />
At Ico Traders we design furniture made from steel, a<br />
sustainable resource and a recyclable material. We audit<br />
our business yearly and positively contribute 120 percent<br />
carbon credits to offset our footprint.<br />
All of us at Ico Traders have ties to Banks Peninsula.<br />
Our funds help to grow and protect Waipuna Bush, part<br />
of the Te Ara Pātaka Summit Walkway. Thanks to the<br />
generous hospitality of Bob and Carol, owners of the<br />
land, we have become personally involved, walking the<br />
land, understanding the pest control programme and<br />
learning about the native environment of Waipuna Bush.<br />
We are by no means perfect but we are constantly<br />
reviewing the way we work, removing plastics in our<br />
packaging and reducing waste.<br />
You’ve also done some very cool collaborations with<br />
other Kiwi brands over the years, tell us a bit about<br />
some of those…<br />
Yes it’s pretty amazing to work with the likes of Tanja<br />
from Misery who has a large international following for<br />
her artwork, collaborating with her on our Kailani Girl<br />
range of sand-free towels and sun umbrellas.<br />
Another favourite was working with Wellington artist<br />
Greta Menzies who generously donated her time and<br />
talent, creating an original art piece for the lining of our<br />
charity Sophie tote bags, raising money to buy SOS<br />
HaloGuard smart watches for victims of domestic abuse.<br />
You’re a Canterbury girl, right?<br />
I’m originally from a farm in Woodbury, my husband<br />
Richard is from Christchurch. We moved back down<br />
from Auckland 15 years ago for the quiet life (not so<br />
quiet with all the Christchurch events that life has thrown<br />
us). We said we would only be here for five years, but<br />
both of us have close family around and we’ve become<br />
attached to the place.<br />
What do you love about living here?<br />
It’s exciting to be part of a new city which has still held<br />
onto its community vibe. We’re surrounded by magic<br />
scenery and places to discover that are close by and we<br />
have an incredible close network of family and friends.
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