"Embrace your Eccentricity" - Interview with iconografi
Interview Conducted by Aesthel
iconografi was featured in Cosplay Realm Magazine’s 2020 Holiday Gift Guide! You can find them published in the Holiday 2020 issue of CRM as well is in our digital gift guide. Today we have taken some time to sit down with K, the artist behind iconografi to get to know them and learn about the creative process behind their business!
You can check out iconografi on their Website, Twitter, and Instagram pages!
CRM: Hello!! Could you please introduce yourself to the CRM readers and tell them a little bit about what you do?
iconografi: Hi! I’m K, a visual artist based in the US, and creator of iconografi, a small web-based shop for which I make and sell handmade and originally designed alternative fashion inspired by anime, video games, and kawaii aesthetics!
CRM: Can you tell us about the origin of iconografi? Where did your business start and how far have you come since then?
iconografi: Of course! iconografi as a shop started in 2019, but as an idea it was around much longer. I’ve loved playing videogames – especially Nintendo – since childhood, and as things often go I also ended up getting into anime later on. I think I consider my “official” entry into anime as Fullmetal Alchemist, which I watched in high school, but if we’re going to talk about the Saturday morning blocks of 4kids TV, then I was really exposed to the aesthetics of anime – series like Magical DoReMi, Sonic X, Winx Club and so on – far earlier than I was even aware of the term “anime”!
I’ve also always loved creating in various mediums, and first learned a little about jewelry making when during my high school years, I took a jewelry making workshop at a local craft shop with my mom. I experimented a little more with it then, but once entering college I didn’t have the same amount of time to work on it, and was also beginning to explore my other interests in graphic design, video, and photography. Once graduating and starting work in 2019, I found the gap left by the absence of homework filled with more anime-binge watching than ever before, followed by searching for fanart online.
Though there were of course an abundance of great finds to choose from, it got me thinking that there were things I would have loved to buy if only they had existed!
I missed creating jewelry like I had done before, and so combining prior knowledge with since acquired creative and technical skills, I did some research – learning about the laser cutting process, and figuring out what it would take to get my business off the ground. I figured it was time to give selling my creations a shot!
Since starting on Etsy in October 2019, in July 2020 I opened my second, now primary iconografi storefont on Shopify at iconografi.com. It’s been an exciting learning process as I’ve now expanded beyond jewelry into apparel and other merch, and learned so much about what it takes to develop a small business. At just over a year into it now, I’m thrilled to see what’s in store for the future!
CRM: Your products range from cosplay to every day, with inspirations from many different fandoms including anime and video games! What have been some series or fandoms that have given you the most inspiration over the years?
iconografi: Among the first pieces I created for iconografi were inspired by what I’d been watching around the time I started the shop: Jojo’s Bizarre Adventure, and Promare. Both stood out to me for their unique styles and use of bright and fun colors! I like to create big, bold jewelry, and the pieces I’ve made inspired by these series are amongst my favorites!
Video game-wise, I really love the Legend of Zelda, and just got into Final Fantasy this year with the remake of FF7 – these series inspire me to make more fantastical and magical pieces. Along these lines, I’m also currently working on a series of earrings and necklaces inspired by Genshin Impact using laser cut stainless steel, brass, and crystals, that are available for preorder now!
CRM: The tagline of iconografi is “embrace your eccentricity” and we love this! How do you see yourself embracing eccentricity in your day to day life?
iconografi: For me, it’s about finding ways to express myself – I don’t consider myself to be someone who “fits in”. Though I can adapt when needed, I’m most comfortable just being myself!
I like to think creatively and consider things from different angles, always being ready and excited to learn more! It’s why I don’t want to stick to only one style or medium of art – I want to learn as many as possible!
I’ve also always wanted to get into cosplay, and in making pieces for iconografi I’ve been able to make pieces that can complete a look – for example the earrings I’ve made inspired by Yona’s earrings from Yona of the Dawn – and I’ve also gotten to learn skills I’ll be able to apply to future cosplays of my own! If you check out the iconografi.com lookbook, I’ve started to incorporate cosplay into the modeling of pieces I’ve created, and I’m looking forward to doing some more of that as well!
CRM: Many artists and creators have felt the devastating effects of COVID19 on their businesses this year. As a business owner yourself, what are some steps that people can do to help support small businesses right now?
iconografi: I’m glad you brought this up! Since the pandemic began, I’ve found myself becoming more involved online, especially on Twitter and Instagram, and in these spaces I credit those who’ve helped share and retweet my work with helping me to expand my audience! I feel it’s so important to engage with small businesses and independent creatives. When you find work you like, tell that to the creators, share it, give that follow, and engage. Your share could lead to sales, and if you’re able to make a purchase yourself or give a tip, do that too! If you’d like to take things a step further, take some time to write a review or post a picture of your purchase! It really means a lot, and helps future potential customers develop interest.
Through engaging online, I’ve not only been able to get my own work out there, but I’ve gotten to meet fellow creatives, and help their work gain exposure as well! That growing sense of community is very encouraging. Support is, I think one of the most important tools we have to overcome this challenge, and it’s especially important for BIPOC creatives - don’t just share our work when it’s a trend to do so!
Take time to genuinely engage with small business owners and show kindness. There are so many tasks to be completed in order to keep our shops running – we’re doing a lot of things at once, often all on our own or with an incredibly small team!
CRM: Do you have any upcoming releases or plans for iconografi that you can share with us?
iconografi: Well, since you asked – I actually do! I’ve been teasing an upcoming “secret project” on Twitter for some time now, and as a CRM exclusive I’ll share a little about it now!
When I first started my shop, one of my biggest goals was to someday design enamel pins. Since July, I’ve been able to launch three pin designs – and while I’m planning to design more pins in the future, something else I’ve aspired to create is an itabag! After all they’re a fun, cute, and secure way to showcase all the enamel pins, charms, and other merch purchased from all of your favorite independent artists!
The project is currently in the prototyping phase, but here’s a little inside scoop for all you lovely CRM readers! I’m planning to launch iconografi’s first itabag design in Spring 2021! Preorders are likely to begin as early as this month, so please follow on social media for updates.
CRM: Thank you so much for taking the time to answer our questions! Is there anything else that you would like to say to the CRM readers?
iconografi: Thank you! I really enjoyed this interview, getting some time to really explore the motivations behind iconografi and to shed some light into my experiences as a small business owner! To readers, thank you for taking the time to read this interview. While we continue to endure this ordeal of the COVID-19 pandemic, I hope we can all find ways to support and care about one another, and to share our creativity and light! Please take care and have a Happy Holiday season!