Amy Howell longs to bring colour to your living room. The 32-year-old designer of new homeware brand You're Welcome makes cushions and tote bags in high-contrast colour schemes and beautiful quality fabrics. "I really just want people to have a bit of fun with their homeware, throw a bit of colour about the place, rather than be afraid of it," she says.
Fittingly her favourite things are quirky, colourful pieces (Andy Warhol in drag, a pastel-coloured Polaroid, a colour-blocked Balmain clutch) that include references to her fashion background.
After completing her fashion degree at Wanganui Polytech, Howell headed to London, where she did post-graduate studies in innovative pattern cutting at Central Saint Martins and interned with leading designer Katharine Hamnett, famous for her political slogan tees and ethical approach to design. Hamnett inspired Howell to start her own business.
"She told me I would never be happy working for somebody else and pushed me to go out on my own," Amy explains, adding about the move away from fashion, "I've always loved interiors and was even considering architecture or industrial design when deciding on a career path at the end of high school, so moving into homeware was easy."
