Nothing Boring About New Designs from Bored Inc.

They say that necessity is the mother of invention, but what comes after invention?---I'll tell you, a webstore! Bored Inc. is a mother/daughter venture from Los Angeles, and together they create a line of absolutely adorable handbags, necklaces, wall decals, and now---onesies!

I recently got a chance to interview the daughter-half of Bored Inc. about her idea for the company, the advantages of working with Mom, and what we have to look forward to from Boredinc.net. She also offered up some new, never before seen designs. So, are you still bored?

Q: First of all, you're a mother/daughter team. That's so cool! Have you two always worked on creative projects together?

A: For as long as I can remember, my Mom and I have been working on creative projects together. Her background is in sculpture and dimensional design, so when I was growing up we were always coming up with art projects and creating things together.

Q: When/how did Boredinc.net start?

A: Ten years ago, when I was 15, I wanted to paint Mehndi on my hands with Henna Paste. It was really difficult, and any mistakes you made were left there until the paste wore away a few weeks later. I came up with an idea to make a marker, in henna colored ink, that you could use safely on your skin. My mom was always really encouraging and supportive of my zany ideas, so she helped to find a manufacturer to make the pens, and we made a book of art to go with it. A friend knew a sales rep, and voila! The Temporary Tattoo pen was born. Once we got the pen into stores, buyers started asking for our artwork on other products, and we got hooked up with manufacturers of all sorts of products... hats, belts, shirts, shoes, paper goods, etc.

We still license our art to manufacturers, but in the past few years we have taken Bored Inc. into a new direction. Our new focus is on designing items start to finish, and selling product directly to the consumer. It's been a very fulfilling transition; not only do we have more control over the products and design, but we get to interact directly with our customers, which I love.

Q: Who is more of the "boss" on the job? Do you always get along?

A: I don't think there is really a "boss." We collaborate on everything, and both of us bring ideas and input to bring to the table. I think of it more as a partnership than a boss/employee relationship. Of course, being mother and daughter, we don't always get along; but I think we have worked together long enough that we are realistic and patient with each other.

Q: What are some of your inspirations for designs (from music, culture, art, etc)

A: Wow.well, I love Japanese pop culture, and, in general I am hugely influenced by art. In particular, I love Fafi, Miss Van, the KaiKai Kiki artists, Junko Mizuno... I could go on and on. I also look for inspiration in vinyl toys and Blythe dolls. In my studio, I try and surround myself with cute things that make me happy and creatively inspire me. My boyfriend jokes that my brain is filled with singing flowers, bunnies in outfits, talking deers and visions of baby pandas... he really isn't that far off!

Q: Are all your designs handmade?

A: I sew all of the bag prototypes by hand, and we create the illustrations in Adobe Illustrator. Although we don't manufacture the items ourselves, we try to stay intently involved in the process. I want to be proud of what I sell, and I try to make sure that we only sell quality items that people are going to love.

Q: Do you wear your own designs?

A: I try to wear my own stuff as much as possible, and I love dressing my friends up in the stuff we make. I'm a bit shy, so self promotion has never been my strong suit.

Q: What are some of your favorite pieces that you've designed?

A: I love our Acrylic TokyoBunnie necklace, it turned out a million times cooler than I had anticipated. I also love the new Dollie Nurse Bag, which is inspired by my Blythe dolls. I think our Decorama vinyl wall art has a lot of awesome applications. The first bag I designed was the red haired dollie bag, so it will probably always be my favorite.

Q: What do we have to look forward to from Boredinc.net in the future?

A: This February, we are releasing a brand new line of baby clothes! I am SUPER excited about them. We are introducing two new lines of characters, 'Save Our Sushi' and 'Stinky Poo.' Samples for the line just came in, and we a couple weeks back we did a photo shoot. The shoot was a ton of fun - I love the new characters, I'm hoping they find their way to lots of products in the future.

Q: Do you have any advice for budding designers and Trendinistas when it comes to designing their own fashions and patenting their own styles?

A: I think the most important thing is to believe in what you are creating, and to like it yourself. If you don't like what you are making, why would anyone else? It's so rewarding to create something you truly love, and then find that others love it just as much! In addition, I would recommend others to be realistic about their aspirations. It's a lot of work, and although it's cool to not have a normal nine-to-five, I find it's oftentimes more than a full time job.

Another important thing is to get your designs out there, especially online. I've found that the online market is limitless! Open an Etsy shop, an online store, start a blog or a MySpace, try to promote it to the best of your ability.

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