letterboxco's bianca spiegel
For quite a while I've known Bianca Spiegel as a helpful and cheery assistant to one of Sydney's top interior stylists. Then I bumped into her a few weekends ago at Bondi markets selling stationery and other homewares that she had created and sourced from around the world with her sister Carla Green. They set up LetterboxCo together and are selling the products online at an affordable price. Bianca is also a sculptor.
Which five words best describe you? I am a unique, creative, spiritual, carefree bowerbird.
How did you get your career start and what path have you taken since? I have a BA in fine arts majoring in sculpture and painting, I am currently working as an interior styling assistant for various interior magazines, as well as doing freelance graphic design. Although they are both creative roles, they require very different skills and I am learning so much from the challenges they both present. From a young age I have always loved stationery and hoped that one day I would own my own business. Recently I established an online stationery and gift store/brand called LetterboxCo with my sister, Carla. Our product range is both handmade and carefully sourced from around the world to fit with our unique style.
What’s the best lesson you’ve learnt along the way? Keep motivated and stay true to yourself and what you believe in, work hard and if you keep your creative juices flowing, they will never run out.
What’s your proudest career achievement? Launching our website and receiving a very positive response to it - it's great to see that people also love the things that we love.
What’s been your best decision? Deciding to pair up with my sister and work on this project together, and putting my energy into things that I love to do.
Who inspires you? I would have to say my grandfather is my biggest inspiration, he is a true craftsman, a jack of all trades with the warmest heart on earth, what could be more inspiring.
What are you passionate about? Travelling to beautiful lands, experiencing new cultures and listening to inspiring music, appreciating well-designed objects, art and design, languages, learning and, of course, stationery!
Which person, living or dead, would you most like to meet? Marcel Duchamp, I have always admired his use of the found object to create the “ready-mades” - a work of art, and how he challenged the art world and was avant-garde; he has inspired me from an early age and I would love to sit with him, perhaps over a game of chess to discuss his theories and logic.
What dream do you still want to fulfil? Creating a product line to sell in stores, working for a magazine and eventually living, working and painting in Paris.
What are you reading? The God of small things by Arundhati Roy, a must read!
images courtesy of letterboxco