Celebrating the Australian Designers We’ve Partnered With
As a single mum and entrepreneur behind the Australian designer bags at Wicker Darling, I understand how much work goes into doing it all yourself. Believe me, small business owners wear a million hats. And that’s why I find it so special to partner with other Australian designers.
If there is anything I can do to empower the other amazing Aussie women who have pulled themselves up by their bootstraps and created magic with their beautiful brains and hands - then I want to do it.
Which is why I want to take the time to formally introduce the incredible female Australian designers we have partnered with at Wicker Darling. Each of them is so unique, so talented, and has made our business all that much better.
Being a small business owner is not easy, and these Australian designers more than deserve their time in the spotlight for the amazing work they have done. And so, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to some of the Australian designers we have collaborated with for our line of quirky accessories.
Rachel from What Willow Did
Rachel from What Willow Did is one of the OG collaborators with Wicker Darling. This fabulous Australian designer has been providing adorable and quirky brooches to go along with our wicker handbags for years now.
So, if you’ve received a pink triceratops brooch, or cat butt brooch with your bag in the past, you have Rachel to thank for it!
Rachel creates fantastical, hand-made Australian designer jewellery of all sorts, from brooches to necklaces to earrings. Many of her wares would go wonderfully with Wicker Darling designs, even if they weren’t specifically created for that.
Take her Peaceful Pelican Brooch for example. It’s the PERFECT fit for anyone with a Pelican Bill wicker pelican bag!
Rachel is truly talented, and I love her whimsical artistic sense. She isn’t afraid to be irreverent either (which as we all know, is a trait I support wholeheartedly).
Somewhere along the way, I decided it simply wasn’t enough to have these statement brooches as secret surprises with your purchases.
No, this Australian designer deserves more than that, and so I’ve given Rachel free reign to design a line of brooches/necklaces (and actual necklaces) to add to our jewellery collection. This gives her delightful designs their own chance in the spotlight.
And, dare I say, these are some of her best, most over-the-top designs yet! Here are some of the ridiculous and wonderful Australian designer jewellery pieces Rachel has created during our collaboration.
Charlotte the dinosaur brooch
Meet Charlotte ‘the Broochasaurus’ dinosaur brooch. Charlotte is, quite clearly, a Brontosaurus, and as such is a likely companion for any of the dinosaur purses in the Bronte-saurus family. Of course, she was specifically designed to go with her namesake, Charlotte Bronte-saurus.
Charlotte Broochasaurus is made with a gorgeous marbled green acrylic resin, and rests against a glittery green foliage background. She is simply the happiest brontosaurus you ever did see.
And, she features a special surprise on the back - two stainless steel necklace fobs. This means you can string your favourite chain through this dinosaur brooch and turn her into a pendant necklace!
For your convenience, we have even included a silver chain with your purchase, so you don’t have to run around searching for one if you don’t have an extra handy. How fabulous!
Tucano the toucan brooch
You all know I love a good bird brooch, so no collaboration of mine would have been complete without one! Luckily, Rachel has designed us a spectacular toucan brooch for our collection. His name is Tucano.
Tucano the toucan brooch has a beautiful tropical flare, and this cheeky, beaky bird is nestled amongst some truly lovely red hibiscus flowers. He would make a wonderful addition to your tropical vacation - or, of course, a Tallulah or Toucan Tango toucan purse.
Just like Charlotte, Tucano can convert into a pendant necklace (making him twice the fun).
Limoncello the lemon brooch
It’s not ALL about the animals at Wicker Darling. We love some vintage fruit accessories too. So thank goodness Rachel has designed this complete dream of a lemon brooch for us.
Limoncello the lemon brooch is simply iconic. It’s the perfect sunny weather accessory, and absolutely ideal for your Amalfi Coast vacation (I would know, having just been there.) Just pair Limoncello with our lemon scarf (featured below) and mini lemon satchel and you’re all set!
The vibrant lemons (and currants!) on this brooch/necklace will just make you a ray of sunshine wherever you go.
Vienna the rainbow unicorn necklace
Not all of this Australian designer’s pieces are brooches. In fact, this one is just a necklace. A GLORIOUS necklace. May I introduce Vienna, the spectacular rainbow unicorn necklace!?
This veritable punch of colour is made from both mirrored and marbled acrylic, which make it delightful to behold from all angles.
While this necklace features two unicorn heads, she only needs one name. And she knows it. Vienna is a magical match for our entire collection of unicorn handbags and clutches. She also plays well with other rainbow-rific clothing, and can brighten up a neutral outfit.
We live for her.
These designs from Rachel are simply spectacular, and we cannot wait to see what she comes up with next!
Laura from Obscurio & Co
Brooches aren’t the only thing we have collaborated on at Wicker Darling. The next Australian designer we’ve worked in collaboration with is the lovely Laura Richter of Obscurio & Co.
Laura was single-handedly responsible for our rebrand at Wicker Darling (and what a fabulous job she has done).
Have you ever appreciated the rainbow-tastic colour scheme of the Wicker Darling Instagram feed? Thank Laura for that.
She also continues to make our website look BEAUTIFUL.
We love Laura a little extra because she prides herself on partnering with strange and unusual businesses as a brand identity designer. And I just LOVE that she recognised us for the odd ducks we are at Wicker Darling!
But Laura does much more than just branding. She is an incredible designer in her own right. In fact, this Australian designer has created a line of stunning silk scarves for our collection.
I don’t know how she dreams up the patterns she makes for our silk scarves, but they truly are a sight to behold. So behold them!
Our lemon scarf
The very first Australian designer scarf that Laura made for Wicker Darling was this beautiful Amalfi lemon scarf. The scarf features not only some very happy lemons, but some flamingos (no surprise for Wicker Darling fans!) and a gorgeous blue and white Italian tile background.
Put it in your hair, tie it around your handbag, wear it on your wrist - you name it. You will look effortless and well-travelled with this refreshing accessory.
Our tropical birds scarf
Have a tropical vacation coming up? Love the colour orange? Or perhaps you just love a good bird like I do. Well then, the tropical birds scarf was MADE for you, darling.
Featuring two types of toucans, two types of flamingos, and all sorts of gorgeous foliage, this is one of those silk scarves that just can’t be missed out on. It’s a total head-turner.
Our flamingo scarf
Last, but certainly not least, Laura created a stunning flamingo scarf to celebrate Wicker Darling’s four year anniversary. As many of you know, I first started this business because of my yearning for a particular pink flamingo purse.
And now look how many spectacular flamingo accessories we have in our flock! This flamingo scarf is such a welcome addition to the collection. As far as Australian designer scarves go, I can think of none finer! Of course, I may be a bit biased.
This flamingo scarf is a mesmerising display of patterns and colours and - you guessed it - flamingos. So many flamingos. So much pink. SO MUCH APPROVAL.
Laura has really outdone herself with this one, and I’m just itching to see how the next collaboration turns out!
Liliana from Casa Bonita
It’s all fun and fabulousness with What Willow Did and Obscurio & Co, but our next Australian designer partnership is extra special. We are so honoured to have partnered with Liliana at Casa Bonita for our jewellery collection, because the work she is doing is so incredible.
And I don’t just mean the earrings.
You see, Casa Bonita Lifestyle was established to empower Latin American women and migrant women both abroad and here on our own shores. It supports migrant women in Melbourne with networking opportunities and skills to create their own independent businesses.
And, abroad, it provides work for hundreds of artisan women in Latin America and puts food on their tables.
All Casa Bonita products are lovingly handmade in an ethical and sustainable fashion, just like our rattan handbags at Wicker Darling. And, just like with our purses, when you buy Casa Bonita earrings, you are providing financial stability for female artists and keeping local artisan traditions alive.
Here are some of the meticulously crafted earrings that Liliana has designed in collaboration with Wicker Darling.
Hand-woven watermelon earrings
Just look at how sweet these hand-woven watermelon earrings are! They are exquisitely made, and a delightful pop of colour for any outfit.
These watermelon earrings would work especially well for a warm weather picnic, and would be the perfect match for any of our cute summer purses (but particularly our mini watermelon satchel, of course).
The handwoven watermelon earrings are made from iraca palm with 24CT Colombian gold for the fruit leaves. While the fruit is a traditional Colombian woven design, the addition of the gold leaves is unique to the Wicker Darling collaboration - and we feel honoured!
Hand-woven grape earrings
Watermelons aren’t the only fruit in our collection. Casa Bonita has also made some adorable grape earrings for us! If you know any wine lovers, these hand-woven grape earrings would make a very thoughtful gift. And of course, they make great treat yourself gifts too!
The purple grapes are exquisitely hand-woven from the finest iraca and feature a little pop of green for some added interest. And, naturally, our signature gold leaf studs. They’re just fabulous.
Hand-woven cherry earrings
Why not put a cherry on top of your outfit? With the hand-woven cherry earrings from Casa Bonita, you’ll look like an absolute treat!
Cherries are well-known as an iconic retro symbol. Cherries on swing dresses, cherries on handbags, cherries on home decor - well, now you can put some cherries on your ear lobes!
These cherry earrings are a great addition to any pin-up/retro/vintage wardrobe, and would look simply adorable with any polka-dot clothing in your closet. With beautiful two-tone stems and gold leaf studs, these red cherry earrings are ready for any event.
Get your Australian designer bags and accessories today!
At Wicker Darling, we always have some quirky Australian designer accessories in-stock and waiting for you. Come browse our current unique accessories, and keep your eye out for new styles dropping every month.
