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EESTI ELU reedel, 1. mail 2020 — Friday, May 1, 2020
Young Professionals Spotlight: Merike Hess of The Little Sea Interview by Vincent Teetsov Merike Hess is an entrepreneur and fashion designer based in the Waterloo region of Ontario, where she operates her business “The Little Sea”. Though her most popular creations to date are her signature flower crowns, she has cultivated a brand that extends into handmade knitwear, stationery, and a range of digitally printed products on Society6. “The Little Sea” is a transla tion of Merike’s name, from Estonian to English, which I think starts to give us an idea of the spontaneous and fun way she works and thinks. ••• You opened your Etsy shop back in 2018; what events led to the opening of the shop? Were you making fashion accessories on an in-person basis before? Before opening my Etsy shop, I was making flower crowns and other floral pieces while still in school. I’ve al ways loved picking flowers, and one year at Seedrioru, we had a kasvataja (counsellor) from Eesti who taught us how to make fresh pärjad (flower crowns). I was immediately obsessed and couldn’t help but make them everywhere I went. Then, when I was in high school, I decided that I wanted to customize my prom dress with fake flowers all over it, with the help of my mum. After that project was done, I had a whole bunch of beautiful artificial flowers left over, so I offered flower crowns to my fellow students to buy and wear to prom. Beyond Etsy and the website for The Little Sea, you have a loyal following on social media, especially on Pinterest. How does your social media content reflect the overall world you make with your products? My social media content, and The Little Sea as a com pany, are basically a visual representation of my own per sonality and style. I try to be as authentic as possible, keeping my content and captions fun,
colourful and conversational. Pinterest is great because it’s another way for me to share my work, mixed in with a curated collection of the home decor, illustration and photography that inspires me. I use this in spiration to create my products, packaging and product photo shoots.
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AKEN’s Blue-Black-White Celebration and Sale postponed but not cancelled!
Where do you turn to for inspiration in your designs? Is there a specific era of design or one particular designer that inspires you the most? The inspiration for my work comes mostly from nature, other creators, and materials. Since much of my work thus far has used florals, I save a lot of photos of weddings in colourful fields or gardens, which inspire my more whim sical creations. I follow a lot of florists and other small busi nesses on social media, and I’m always very inspired by the creative solutions for problems they have. My favourite era is definitely the 60s and 70s! I love the funky colours, prints and of course the abundance of florals. Flower crowns evoke Nor dic concepts, including Jaani päev. How has being Estonian informed your creativity? Being an eestlane has un doubtedly affected my creativity and passions. I love foraging for flowers and bits and pieces, and appreciating Mother Nature. I believe spending my summers in Eesti or at Seedrioru have had a huge part in reinforcing this love of mine. Pärjad, of course, are a nordic tradition along with rahvariided, for birth days and special events such as Laulupidu. Finally, where do you want to take The Little Sea next as a business? Where can we purchase your designs? Some products I’ve wanted to make are floral printed pottery pieces, art made of dried foliage and more clothing made out of thrifted fabrics. My ultimate goal is to have a successful e-commerce shop and eventual ly a small brick and mortar location for a shop and studio with a cafe inside. So keep your eyes peeled for that in the next bunch of years! My designs can be bought through my Etsy shop, accessible through my website TheLittleSea.com. You can also contact me on Instagram @hellothelittlesea. My shop has been laying low a little in the last few months as I’m in my fourth year of university, studying Creative Industries and Fashion at Ryer son University, but it’s making a come back this spring/sum mer! This interview has been edited and condensed.
Does the photo depict a group of AKEN women gathered together in order to take stock of AKEN Esto Boutique’s inventory in preparation for AKEN’s Blue-BlackWhite anniversary celebration and sale of Estonian handicrafts and artifacts? Seems unlikely, considering the fact that the AKEN women are closely heeding the govern ment’s edict to “STAY HOME, STAY SAFE & SAVE LIVES!” More likely depicted is a group of ethnographically attired and masked “dummies” recruited for the pur poses of a photo-op to accompany AKEN’s announcement that the Blue-Black-White celebration and sale will take place in APRIL 2021! And a joyful celebration it will be with handshakes and hugs all around! “Per aspera ad astra!” On behalf of the AKEN committee… ELLEN LEIVAT
Reach out and touch someone That’s a no-no today. Was not in the 1970’s when a popular Bell ad encouraged that through the wonders of telephony. Strange, we are back at that stage again. A phone call is the only sure-fire way to have safe vocal contact with our loved ones and friends, just as Ma Bell wanted. Especially in this day and age. Of course, their interest was the bottom line with long-distance phone calls be ing a moneymaker. Today we can connect in other ways, but we are still being gouged. Landlines are a luxury, cellphone and Internet plans are if not the most expensive in the world, then among the dearest. The physical distancing de manded by our health care specialists is a reality for who knows how long. The slender one is actually putting some pork onto his lean frame, you know, the quarantine fifteen, the urge to eat while staying at home. But cannot go to a friend’s sauna to sweat it off – too close to others. So that Bell jingle came to mind. And some other wonderful tunes about touching that take the mind off the pandemic. The slimster harkened back to Diana Ross and her first s ingle after leaving the Supremes. Man, half a century
ago, April 1970, she released her first solo single “Reach Out and Touch (Somebody’s Hand)”. The second line of the song urged that through touch we can “make this world a bet ter place”. It may not be too late for that. After leaving the Supremes she still kept that Motown sound, yet the song did not climb high on the charts. Only later did it achieve de served success, leading Stevie Wonder and, alas, Michael Jackson, to cover it. The mind wandered further. Pre-Ross’ solo single, The Who released a classic: “Tommy”. The lyrics to “See Me, Feel Me” continue touch me, heal me. We certainly could use both of the last two. The same year The Doors also asked, “Touch Me”. Bob Marley’s album “Touch Me” was, while not a flop, no great shakes. The title track was a ballad, strange for a reggae mon. The Temptations, though, who had an album by the same title, sure caught the ear with their magical harmo nies. Then, from the same era, the often confusing 1970’s, the truly sappy (how did this become such a huge hit one wonders, even today) “Sometimes When We Touch” by Canadian Dan Hill qualifies. In 1973 Ross tried again, asking “Touch Me in the Morning”. Well, I think
anyone woulda at that time, she was a smokin’ beauty. Cathy Dennis echoed the sentiment in the early 90’s with the dance hit “Touch Me (All Night Long)”. That, actually, was a fairly de cent number to bump and grind to both on and off the floor. (Pardon the digression and the memories of being younger.) Then there was the country music honesty. Really, it is not always hackneyed and trite, just listen to Hank Williams. But “Don’t Touch Me There” re corded by Charly McClain sure reminds us that not all touch is good. But without touch where would we be? As long as we know the difference between right and wrong, the conundrum faced by many, especially the covidiots, peoplekind should be okay. But really, the last word be longs to Bruce Springsteen. Have to be impressed by his sensitivity in “Human Touch”. Wherein he asks, “I just want someone to talk to”. Then to hold on to. Here’s the final verse: “Baby in a world without pity // Do you think what I’m askin’s too much? // I just want to feel you in my arms // And share a little of that human touch”. Amen, Boss. Until that long-off day, let your fingers do the walking, to quote another Bell ad, even if it has to do with the Yellow Pages. Do it on your phone’s dial pad. And do like Carly Rae Jepsen. “Call Me”. OTEPÄÄ SLIM
