Get to know the Melbourne-based accessories designer, who's bringing his colourful African heritage to the fashion scene
Melbourne-based designer and artist, Brian Dakin, is a mastermind when it comes to print and colours. His African roots play a big part in the beautiful bags, decor and art he produces for his brand, B. Dakin, and can be seen in the expert mixing of colours and patterns. It’s a feast for the eyes and we can’t get enough! CATALOG learns more about the man, the brand, and the plan.
Hi Brian! Paint us a picture of the B. Dakin brand and how it all began.
B. Dakin was a dream I’d always had and is a way for me to combine my design background with African heritage. A few visits to West Africa over the past few years really helped the brand to take shape and to cement my ideas. Through B. Dakin, we’re modernising heritage, giving a positive representation of Africa, and are telling the story of what’s happening there now in terms of innovation, design and entrepreneurship.
Give us a lowdown of the products under your brand and why they’re special.
I design homewares, furniture (cushions, tea towels, aprons, lamps, armchairs) and accessories (tote bags, overnight bags) using vibrant Ankara designs. What makes them special is the application of Ankara prints on modern designs. When most people think of Ankara, they think of fashion, but it’s so much more than that. With our designs, we’re creating a lifestyle. Everything about the journey, from inception to the final product that you see, is authentic and filled with passion. Through that, we’re driven to create a special and unique product.
Who are your design inspirations?
I love Coco Chanel. She represents a timeless elegance. When she started, she was met with a lot of resistance and she embodied what I hope to be in terms of her persistence and the quality of her product. She was revolutionary and yet so classic. Her clothing represented freedom for women at that time and that’s inspiring. She knew she was onto something and she did it with determination, ambition and passion and was able to achieve something that no one could see or even fathom at that time in history.
What was it like starting an independent label? What were some of the hurdles you had to cross for you to get where you are?
It’s exciting. When we decided to make B. Dakin happen, we knew the work that we’d have to put in and the sacrifices we’d have to make, but watching the brand grow and evolve is what makes the sacrifices, all the late nights and lost weekends worth it.
Beating cultural barriers to bring people great products has been a hurdle we’ve had to cross. Because you’re trying to sell your goods to people, the hurdle is jumping over cultural barriers so that the mom from New York likes it, the dude on the streets of Hong Kong likes it, the girl in Sydney likes it. From the start, we’ve set out to be a diverse brand, which means being accessible across cultures. The way, we’ve overcome those barriers by creating something that’s well made, unique and yet classic and recognisable.
Where do you want the B. Dakin brand to be in the next five years?
Our sights are set on growing our brand in Asia. We’ve had such an incredible response from the Asian market so far and we’re investing a lot more time and energy into our brand being a household name in Asia in the coming years. Watch out!
How does your brand inspire your art and vice versa?
They’re really about the same thing, just using a different platform to communicate it. The B. Dakin brand is a modernisation of heritage. Through our brand, we’re pushing boundaries and redefining culture and what people associate with a particular culture. I believe that the elements of things that people find beauty in are the same at their core, whether it’s music, art, design or even a flower. Beauty is beyond cultural boundaries and our brand and my art illustrates that.
Any advice for young artists out there who dream of being recognised for their talent?
You have to do what’s true to you and you have to do what you love. It sounds cliché, but it’s the truth, because only by doing what you love are you going to be able to convince others to love what you do.