In My Studio: Katrina Hobbs’ Textiles & Homewares Are Grounded In Nature

Katrina Hobbs has woven several creative strands together to launch her own collection of textiles and homewares products.

After studying interior design in Sydney and working with some of Australia’s top interior designers, she returned to New Zealand in 2018 to open her own store in Ponsonby, Auckland. During Covid, she moved her retail store to an online-only presence.

Her studio, in the back yard of her mother’s Muriwai home, is surrounded by native bush.

Well-known for her roles in TV shows and films, including Shortland Street, The Brokenwood Mysteries, All Saints and Rake, she continues to weave in acting projects while running Katrina Hobbs Design.

There have been challenges and obstacles along the way, but Katrina loves her latest role producing her distinctive silk velvet and pure linen printed cushions and photographic artwork.

What is it about your work that gets you excited?

I love — and fear — designing. It never goes smoothly but I’m slowly learning not to be so hard on myself during the process. I questioned my work, believing other designers created collections with ease and no hurdles.

A few years ago I watched a wonderful documentary about Raf Simons, filmed while he was creating his first collection for Dior. I discovered that even someone with his extraordinary talent struggled in the same way I did. It was at that moment that I realised it was okay for me to stumble through the process of creating a collection in my own way.

I do a lot of my creative work from a studio I have in the garden of my mum’s home at Muriwai. I like being surrounded by nature when I’m working. The garden backs on to native bush and the wild west coast is a short walk away. I find the extraordinary variety of flowers and shrubs in the garden inspiring, along with the vast iron-coloured sands at Muriwai.

What does your making process involve?

I get inspired by landscapes and photographs I’ve taken. For example, the design Glacial is based on the amazing colour of Lake Tekapo. The next phase is painting. I often use watercolours and a method of layering and using different mediums to build up the design. The trick is knowing when to stop! Once the artwork is complete I work with a digital printing process on silk velvet and pure linens. Each fabric has a very different reaction to the colours.

Any tips for creatives wanting to launch their own business?

Be prepared to take risks. This is number one. You must want to throw yourself into it without knowing there’s anything there to catch your fall. It’s terrifying but can also be incredibly rewarding.

Be prepared to make mistakes. That’s been tricky for a perfectionist like me. At the beginning, when my self-esteem was very wobbly, I would always find fault with my designs and reasons not to complete them. However, I was consistently surprised when others didn’t see these shortcomings. In fact, they were widely liked, which shocked the hell out of me.

Be prepared for rejection and setbacks. I’ve been lucky to experience this with my acting career and it’s taught me not to take rejection personally.

Believe in yourself and what you’re doing, like, a crazy amount. A dear friend told me years ago, ‘Feel the fear and do it anyway.’ Self-belief is what keeps you going when things get tough.

I launched the brand as Hobbs & Co and trademarked that name and logo after a couple of years. What a big mistake. A very scary legal letter from the UK instructed me to cease and desist trading both the name and logo on behalf of a huge UK chain store of the same name. I knew my little business wouldn’t stand a chance in court and I thought it was all over. Such an awful feeling.

On a positive note, this pushed me to use my own name, which I’d been avoiding due to past tall poppy experiences. It was tough for a few months but turned out well. With nothing to hide behind, I’ve had to front up and show the world that this is something that I believe in.

Did you seriously consider giving up?

For a time I felt as though I couldn’t see my way through this, but the one thing that kept me going was that I loved what I was doing and that drove me to make it work in the end. I feel very lucky to be able to do something that I love.

Have you ever had a business mentor?

Yes, in the beginning, through Business Mentors NZ. He was fantastic and instrumental in challenging my decisions and focus in those early days. He helped me establish discipline around what I wanted the company to stand for and I’ve always gone back to that.

Biggest life lesson?

Finding ways to create a wonderful life after realising I would never be able to have children. This wasn’t a quick process. After many years of trying to have a baby, at the age of 44, I had to face the reality. At the time this eclipsed everything, my world stopped and I had nothing more to offer. It didn’t feel like a great time to be starting a business.

After gentle prodding from friends and family, I began to paint. In an odd and wonderful way, those first designs helped me find my way back to myself. Launching my label has been a big part of finding my path in life and it continues to be both a huge challenge and very rewarding.

What self-care strategies do you have in your life?

I’ve learned the hard way. Working on long-running TV series has taught me to take time out or run out of steam. Number one: spending time with people that I care about. I’m a big food lover, so delicious dinners out are right up there. I love to travel and really enjoy discovering new trends overseas. Some of my favourite travel photographs are available through my online store Katrinahobbsdesign.com. And my dog Riley, who keeps me on my toes and is an absolute delight.

Do you ever worry about having enough inspiration?

I’ve learned not to worry about inspiration. The world is such a beautiful place, I’m constantly delighted by so many different aspects; this childlike delight keeps the inspiration coming in.