Volume 1
T
his year we celebrate ten years of kikki.K. As I look back on the little business I started from my tiny one bedroom apartment, it’s rewarding to see how far we’ve come.
As a self-confessed stationery addict, it was my love for Swedish design and a need for practical home and office stationery that led to my first product range. It wasn’t long before I’d convinced my partner Paul to sell his home to fund the opening of our first kikki.K boutique – a huge milestone in our journey. The years that followed have flown by so quickly. We’ve shared the joy of stationery with millions of people across the globe, and today we work towards our vision of having something kikki.K in every stylish life the world over. My native Sweden continues to inspire our collections – the colours of the seasons; the textures of the landscape; and the simplicity and clean lines that have defined Scandinavian design for decades. In the pages of this book we celebrate our first ten years, and the best of Swedish culture through photography, food and music. I invite you to take a glimpse into the place where it all began and the source of our inspiration. To our many customers, thank you for giving us the oxygen to continue to inspire you. And to my wonderful kikki.K team, our journey is your journey. Thank you for giving your best every
Kristina Karlsson kikki.K founder & stationery lover
kikki.K At kikki.K we embrace the Swedish design principles of form and function to bring you seasonal collections of delicious stationery, gorgeous gifts and organisation solutions. It started as a dream to create something I was totally passionate about. Now it’s a global journey. We are passionate about helping you achieve the sense of wellbeing that comes from being organised in style, because we believe it improves your quality of life. By saving time and energy, you can focus on the important things in life. If your life is sorted, your mind will be too – and what a fantastic feeling that is. So what does your stationery say about you? www.kikki-k.com
Be in control. Be free.
Grimsholmens Naturreservat, 7.34pm
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Being organised is about having more time for the enjoyable things in life‌ and the freedom that brings.
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A4 BOX mm: 155h x 230w x 330d
CD BOX
mm: 153h x 150w x 285d
HALF A4 BOX
mm: 90h x 230w x 330d
A3 BOX
mm: 105h x 360w x 455d
It may sound ridiculous, but I love storage boxes. Not only are they the perfect representation of Swedish design – form and function achieved through simple, clean lines – but they convey the possibility of being organised and in control. I can’t get enough. In fact, the kikki.K white storage box was one of the first products I designed. You could even say it all started with a box. Today we have a storage box for all occasions – so what do you keep in yours?
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MINI BOX
mm: 80h x 113w x 165d
“it all started with a box”
F I K A
W I T H
M I K K E L
V A N G
To the world Mikkel Vang is an acclaimed photographer, but to me he’s an old friend who shares my love of life and fine wine. Born in Denmark and now dividing his time between Copenhagen, New York and Melbourne, we recently spent a week in my hometown of Falkenberg, Sweden to shoot our new season campaign. Amid the beautiful chaos of shooting dawn to dusk, we managed to sit down for fika – Swedish afternoon tea – to find out what it’s like shooting on location with kikki.K.
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Kristina Karlsson: Mikkel, we’ve known each other for years, but can you recall when we first met? Mikkel Vang: Of course. We met in 2001 when I was working on a Vogue Living photo shoot. You came down to my studio so I could take a portrait of you for the magazine. KK: That was my first photo shoot ever... a very big deal for me as it was Vogue Living and no one had heard of kikki.K yet. But I remember we laughed a lot and had a lot of fun. MV: Yes, we had loads of fun and then we became friends... bonding over lots of wine and gin and tonic! We were both young and hungry to achieve something special. You had just started kikki.K, but we always dreamed of one day going to Sweden for a campaign shoot. KK: But you were always too expensive! [Laughs] The dream did come true in 2009, and again in 2010 when we shot in my hometown Falkenberg. MV: Yes it did. KK: Now you’ve worked with everyone from Emirates to Jo Malone... so how does a kikki.K shoot compare? MV: There is definitely a lot more freedom than with some of my other projects. We work with such a small team which means it’s quite chaotic and a lot of hard work, but it always pays off in the end. Our shoots are a little less planned... a bit more guerrilla, which I love. “We need a white horse... somebody find a white horse!” [Laughs] But we always manage to find the horse, or the white canoe, or whatever it might be. KK: Everyone in the town loves to be involved...helping us source props and locations. MV: Do you have a favourite shot from the campaign, Kikki? I love the car scene the most. It only took us 10 to 15 minutes to get the right shot.
The lighthouse was a great backdrop and the lighting was perfect on the night. It rarely happens so easily. We’ve had a lot of luck. KK: I love that shot too. Partly because that car actually belonged to my friend’s grandmother. As teenagers we used to drive it on Saturday nights... and even back then it was barely running. You never knew if it’d make it back home or not. I love that we were able to incorporate it into this shoot. It really brought back a lot of fun memories. MV: Those shots are really beautiful...timeless, but sophisticated. And every picture tells a story. KK: I agree. I love how the shots turned out, but I’ve already started to think about our next campaign shoot. MV: What is your vision so far Kikki? KK: I think that it will still be inspired by the romance of Falkenberg, and all the possibilities of an organised life with kikki.K, but maybe set in an urban backdrop. And the white box will be back. It seems to have taken on a life of its own and keeps gaining more personality with each shoot. It is quite amazing to think that we’re shooting the same humble box today that we first shot together back in 2001. Who knows what’s inside the box. To me it’s endless possibilities and a big dose of stationery love. MV: Yes, anything is possible with an empty box. KK: So Mikkel, what’s coming up next for you? MV: Well first I plan on resting the visual brain for while, but soon I’ll be working on a campaign for H&M, plus interior shoots for Vogue Living, Donna Hay and the new Bill Granger cookbook. KK: Not long until we’re back in Falkenberg... nothing quite like Swedish summer. MV: See you there... with the white box!
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A moment for reflection.
Ljungsjรถn, 7.48am
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Keep a journal. Reflect on life. Capture moments in time. Leave a legacy.
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Ă–ppna Landskap by Ulf Lundell This song is inspired by my home on the West Coast of Sweden and perfectly captures our desire for clarity of mind and freedom from everyday stress.
D R E A M.
T H E N
D O.
Despite a hectic schedule, I believe it’s important to make time to dream for the future. Don’t be afraid to dream big or small. Put pen to paper and dream without limitation. The simple act of writing your dreams down is the first step towards living the life you want to live. Take time to put yourself first. Commit your dreams to paper and you’ll be surprised by what you will achieve.
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101 dreamS
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.. 8. 9. 10.
Something very powerful happens when you start putting your dreams on paper. They become real and achievable. Use this list from our 101 Dreams Journal as your starting point. Consider what you’d love to achieve; what you’d love to experience; and what you’d love to see. Write down what comes to mind. Don’t edit yourself. Dream, then do.
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Gifts to remember.
Hรถgareds Damm, 8.18pm
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Create a Memory Book – a gift from the heart that your loved ones will cherish.
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G R A V A D
L A X
I love food, and this traditional Swedish dish is just one of the many recipes I keep in my Recipe Book. Gravad Lax – raw salmon cured with salt and sugar – is a summer favourite, typical of special occasions. In my family we enjoy it with a side of potatoes in dill sauce. Try it for yourself and add to your own recipe collection.
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More time for us.
Hรถgared, 5.18am
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Bring a sense of simple organisation to your life. Have more time for what matters most.
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P U T
P E N
T O
P A P E R
There’s something about putting pen to paper that recalls a time when we moved at a slower pace. As a child growing up in the Swedish countryside, I recall my mother and grandmother writing letters to distant friends and loved ones to share news, stay in touch, and feel connected. Today contact is often made with the click of a button, but while we’re saturated with instant communication, nothing compares to the personal touch of a handwritten note. This year my goal is to write more letters and thank you notes. Don’t wait for a special occasion – use this aerogram as your starting point and write to a friend or loved one. Maybe they’ll write back and you too can enjoy the feeling of receiving a handwritten note.
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Photography by Mikkel Vang, www.mikkelvang.com Printed carbon neutral using paper from a sustainable forest and vegetable based inks.