Brand Profile: KIP & CO

With Hayley Pannekoecke, Kate Heppell and Alex McCabe

From humble beginnings…

Kip & Co was founded by two sisters - Hayley Pannekoecke and Kate Heppell - and best mate Alex McCabe. In the very beginning - the pre-Kip & Co Days - Hayley and Kate joint-owned a health food store, but when Hayley had her first child the three got together and decided to seek a more creative venture.

A plethora of business ideas were thrown around until, after spying a gap in the market, they landed on bedding. Since then (over 8 years!), the brand has grown, changed and developed as the trio have done the same. Welcoming kids and expanding families revealed yet more opportunities and helped to evolve Kip & Co into the brand we know and love today. They have since introduced a kid’s range including apparel, rompers and bedding, tableware, bathware - and even a pet collection too!

Colourful, vibrant, joy-inspiring, fun, gorgeous, homegrown... are all words that come to mind when one mentions Aussie homewares brand Kip & Co.

With the three working across all aspects of the business, you have to wonder - how do their uniquely creative brains work so damn well together!?

“Having three people focussed on design is actually a blessing...we all come to the table with a mix of ideas and it’s that ‘melting pot’ that has become the Kip & Co aesthetic.”

And what an aesthetic it is! The girls’ love of vintage, “flea market finds and little gems” shines through, but they are also constantly seeking inspiration from anywhere and everywhere. It’s fair to say that their hallmark, sustainably oriented designs are truly unique and place the brand as a trend setter, not a follower. “The biggest trends we’re forecasting right now are around layering, texture, and colour. Lilac is beginning to have its moment in the sun and our upcoming summer collection is all about the pastel vibe.”

The girls have fostered a tight knit team, and have been passing their pandemic work from home days with frequent virtual coffee catch ups and themed Zoom calls to discuss their latest Netflix binges, reveal their favourite podcasts and exchange cooking repertoires.

“We’re really looking out for each other and are making sure we’re connected all the time. We’ve all come to the understanding that this is really hard to go through alone; so we’re doing our best to be there for each other.”

While the transition seems to have been somewhat smooth for this creative squad, day-to-day life at Kip & Co HQ usually involves a lot of hands on work - from developing brand new concepts, to collabs, to styling stunning shoots for their out-of-thisworld online store.

Speaking of said online store, aside from the obvious draw card of hundreds of fabulous products, one has to wonder what the “must haves” and “must dos” are of such a successful site aka the virtual window display of a brand. We asked these clever style mavens on how they nailed their website - check out what they had to say.

As a digital-only retailer, these gals are seasoned navigators of the online realm, but - as is the only way to stay ahead of the digital curve - they’re always looking to take the next step. And their opinion on the importance of having a presence on social media channels like Instagram? Well… >

“Be genuine in your approach... don’t worry about getting everything perfect all the time. Sometimes it’s the little imperfections that show we are human!”

“We are on there 24/7. In terms of a digital marketing strategy, it’s really important to be present and responding to comments and messages - not only does it improve your visibility on the platform, but we have noticed that the more we engage, the more engagement we get back! It’s about building a community.”

For a brand whose point of difference lies in their colourful and distinctive aesthetic, social media, being a primarily visual tool, is key. Of course their feed is populated with stunningly styled imagery, but the social team at Kip & Co also showcase user-generated content - a great way to keep things fresh, engage with their digital audience and take some of the leg work out of content creation (aka the bane of many busy business owners’ existences).

But what’s on the horizon for these homewares Queens aka Kip & Co? “The world has changed so much in the last couple of months that we’re just taking it one month at time right now. In five years, we hope we’re still creating beautiful products for the home, and hope our kids apparel collection is being rocked by colourful little adventurers everywhere. Most importantly, we hope that on the other side of this pandemic, we are all a little gentler and kinder to each other and mother earth.”