About Liana

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Brisbane, Australia
My studio is located in Brisbane, Australia. For the past 10 years I’ve been enjoying creating jewellery designs from an array of mundane materials. Tupperware and knitting needles have remained a firm favourite. My designs have been published numerous times, graced the shelves of many wonderful galleries and stores and been worn by those whose aren’t afraid of colour and attention. All of which I am very grateful for. For several years I’ve also been fortunate enough to work with many businesses as a coach and workshop facilitator.

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Friday, June 15, 2007

The ORIGINAL Knitwit Bangles



What does it mean when you feel you may have to start calling your creation THE ORIGINAL such and such? Or in my case the ORIGINAL KNITWIT BANGLES!

Over the last few years I have attended a number of commercialisation classes at Craft Queensland/Tafe. The issue that was raised a number of times was the fear that if you sent your designs away to be manufactured that they would be copied - big companies would copy them - China would copy them. A number of speakers with years of experience in these areas allayed our fears with the regularly heard statement "it isn't manufacturers/China that you have to be worried about it, it is most likely to be people in Brisbane (your local area) that will be the ones to copy you." This was not a nice thought at all. I think we all preferred to think of someone doing the dirty on us as being a nameless/faceless foe living far,far away from us, and not as someone we could be sitting next to on the bus!

Anyway this is all a bit of a downer and pretty negative but I know this isn't just an issue for me, so I am discussing it here. It is something we all have to think about or at least be aware of. People copy, although I do believe that this is a very small minority and that there are many grey areas open to misinterpretation. Also seeing others being influenced by your designs can be a complimented - a huge one. Hey I want be influential but I just don't want you to make knitting needle bangles and sell them in my local area (or anywhere really). I think it is pretty UNORIGINAL and plain just NOT NICE.

The Original Knitwit Bangles (pictured above) manufactured by Liana Kabel in her Brisbane studio since 2004.

3 comments:

kit and nancy. said...

im spreading the word down here on the coast about you...making sure i mention your name everytime i get a comment on the yellow knitwit bangle.

Liana Kabel said...

Thanks Laura. I really appreciate that.

Anonymous said...

Hey there
Just a quick update on the topic - the knock-offs have disappeared from the shop in Newtown.
I'm like Laura and always mention your name whenever anyone comments on either of my two delicious knitiwt bangles - and they get commented on ALL the time!!! I went out with one of my friends the other night and we were both sporting our bangles which was very cute!
Hope all is well
mel