From dream to reality, the making of Hendeer
At its core, Hendeer is the fusion of the inspired and the inspirational; the embodiment of life’s simple, soul-feeding pleasures. From art to architecture, textiles to travel, music to the mundane.
But perhaps the biggest influence, according to Founder, Nina Camilleri, is Jimi Hendrix – icon, musician and one half of the brand’s name: Hendeer.
“Jimi Hendrix defied a generation,” says Camilleri, “He was creative, unique, influential, stylish, fashionable, recognisable and of course, talented.”
“He had a sincerity about him, which is exactly what I hope to achieve with Hendeer. Being responsible for creating a product that becomes an object of desire and stirs an emotion in someone. We want to remain true to our beliefs and deliver sincere designs.”
The other half, ‘deer’, came from an afternoon in Camilleri’s own living room, where she spotted a white deer through the window, grazing in the landscape behind her home.
Remaining a constant source of inspiration, Camilleri’s living room is where she spent the best part of 12 months in the lead up to launch, researching, planning, learning and developing, both personally and professionally, in order to lay a solid foundation upon which she could build Hendeer from.
“We started as a humble, home-based business in our living room. It really was the perfect beginning, with its abundance of room, natural light and serene and peaceful backdrop of rolling green hills that framed our windows,” says Camilleri.
Romantic, sure, but Camilleri’s journey to founding Hendeer wasn’t always so dreamy and saw her try her hand at a few career and business ventures, including teaching and real estate, but none quite as exciting as the prospect of working for herself.
“I have a colourful and rich business background,” says Camilleri, “Starting in the early days when I worked for a successful, family-run furniture store as part of the buying team. This role really highlighted my love of design and function, and nurtured my interest in owning my own business.”
“Being able to combine my entrepreneurial spirit with my insatiable appetite for fashion, art and all things beautiful, has been remarkable and something to truly cherish. I am really chasing my dreams,” says Camilleri.
Today, Hendeer is run with the support of one of Camilleri’s oldest and dearest friends and Hendeer’s Creative Director, Angela Liu. The pair’s business relationship came full circle, from owning and running an online boutique together some 15 years ago to now, working toward their shared vision of “transforming everyday items into pieces of art”.
Holding the belief that fashion can coexist with function, Hendeer products serve more than one purpose. Take their woven picnic rugs for example, which act as an indoor throw, boho picnic rug and striking wall tapestry in one.
As for what’s next for Hendeer, Camilleri says:
“We hope that in 2021 we will continue to build our lifestyle brand, expand our product lines and continue to come up with great designs that excite people. We’re always on the lookout for new inspirations, evolving with our mood and travels – even if this currently means armchair travelling.”
