CityMag has sifted through the entire Bowerbird Design Market lineup and selected five makers we think you should get to know ahead of the event this weekend.

After two false starts, Bowerbird is finally going ahead with its 2020 event, happening this weekend from 11—13 December.

This is the first Bowerbird Design Market under the stewardship of new owner Peggy Byrne (who you can read about here), and just as in previous editions, the 2020 Bowerbird is full of the best in emerging South Australian design talent.

The timing could not be better, as Christmas nears and the window of time to get a gift sorted for the fussy, SA-backing design nerd in your life draws to a close.

There’ll be plenty of familiar faces on the stallholder roster (browse them all here), but CityMag has highlighted a couple of our favourite first-time Bowerbirders below.

Done by Matea
CityMag featured the day-glo work of Matea Gluscevic – founder of the eponymous design business Done by Matea – in our last print edition. It’s difficult to pin a label to Matea, as she makes accessories, shoes, and sometimes beautiful non-functional objects, but the more we see her vibrant work the more we want to own a piece of it.

What was the impetus in founding Done by Matea?
The motivation was to create works that were not limited to any one craft in particular, to express ideas in whatever form they came in (as long as I could make them mostly by hand myself ), whilst also making the majority of them wearable or practical in some way. I guess getting through my pages long list of ideas is some type of impetus too!

Sustainable making practices are also important to me, so researching materials and developing different construction methods for things is also a really exciting aspect that I get to explore in having a brand/making works for public consumption.

What will you have on show at Bowerbird this weekend?
I’ll have my range of native flower earrings handmade from kangaroo leather, as well as my other earrings, like the Hungry Crab and Keeping Hand earrings available for purchase. Ill also have my current spring/summer range of handmade shoes available [for people] to see in person and available to order for my next pre-order period.

Why are you interested in appearing at Bowerbird?
Bowerbird is the biggest handmade market in SA (that I’m aware of) and my product really benefits from an environment that already communicates the handmade aspect to my customers. The event is also aligned with my brand values in general, regarding supporting local and appreciating good design.

It’s also a great opportunity to get to meet likeminded people and speak to customers and answer questions et cetera – an aspect that is limited for me at the moment, as I don’t have a shopfront/retail space.

Nice Pickles
Robbie Mather makes delicious pickles. One fateful day, he put them in a big jar with a bold typeface and launched CityMag’s favourite pickle company, Nice Pickles. The jerk beans, pickled pineapple and mixed table pickles are a perfect snack – for yourself or shared among friends – and the Nice Pickles Good Time Brine goes pretty well with ginger beer, so we’re told.

What was the impetus in founding Nice Pickles?
I’d been making pickles for friends and decided to formalise the brand in 2017. A love of snacking on interesting condiments and a desire to share new flavours kickstarted Nice Pickles.

What will you have on show at Bowerbird this weekend?
Our Christmas Pickle Packs will be available at the composite stall. For $32 customers can choose 3 x 500g jars from our range (Pickled Pineapple, Jerk Beans or Table Pickle) with a Nice Pickles postcard and sticker in a gift box.

Why are you interested in appearing at Bowerbird?
It’s a great opportunity to share our brand and products with an audience who appreciate aesthetics and unique flavours.

Ginny Pig Distillery
Lord knows we love a gin – almost as much as we love entrepreneurial upstartery. Ginny Pig Distillery has both in spades. Founders Bec and Craig Cooper (whoa re both also medical professionals) taught themselves the craft of distilling in order to bring Ginny Pig into being. They’ve got a range of fun recipes going, too, as Bec explains below.

What was the impetus in founding Ginny Pig?
It all started with my two obsessions, hot cross buns and gin. Determined to recreate the iconic bun flavour in gin form, we taught ourselves all the skills needed to create high quality, artisan gin. In no time our hot cross bun gin had become a favourite among family and friends. Hot x Gin is available from March until sold out.

What will you have on show at Bowerbird this weekend?
We will be showing our three staple gins, Spiced Fig, Classic Dry and Blueberry and Vanilla.

All three flavours are available in a trio pack, which consists of 3 x 200ml bottles – perfect for Christmas gifts.

Why are you interested in appearing at Bowerbird?
Bowerbird’s amazing reputation among marketers provides a fantastic platform for small businesses to showcase their products. We’re really excited to get our name and our craft better recognised, and we believe Bowerbird will be a great way to do so.

Stentorian Leather
Champions of clean, simple and understated design, Stentorian has been busy building a name for itself at its Ebenezer Place store over the course of this very strange year. If anything, 2020 has taught us to appreciate the finer things within our reach, and the brand’s founders and leatherworkers Sarah and Robert Scammell know how to make some very fine-looking gear.

What was the impetus in founding Stentorian?
Stentorian was formed organically out of one of Sarah’s many creative endeavours. Years ago, leatherwork was one of the many creative hobbies she had at the time and it wasn’t until she started selling pieces to friends and family that she chose to pursue leatherwork as a business. Rob joined the scene soon after and was keen to be involved and help grow the business. There is a definite charm when working with a quality material like leather which we both enjoy.

What will you have on show at Bowerbird this weekend?
We will be showing some of our original classic designs, including large handmade leather tote bags, minimalist leather wallets and purses.

We are also excited to show off a new range of handbag designs made from locally sourced kangaroo leather.

Why are you interested in appearing at Bowerbird?
Having visited Bowerbird multiple times as customers we have always imagined being a part of the Bowerbird experience from the other side. Bowerbird is a great opportunity to meet a huge amount of people, tell our story and promote our products to new people.

ANiMOZ
In his younger days, the author of this sentence lost literal years in the pursuit of Pokémon – attempting to catch ‘em all in Gameboy, N64 and trading card modes. Had ANiMOZ been around in those days, this energy could have been better spent becoming acquainted with Australia’s native and endangered wildlife. Alas, Joel Howland, creator of ANiMOZ, was busy at the time laying the groundwork for his Australia-inspired creation by leaning into his own love of tabletop games.

What was the impetus in founding ANiMOZ?
ANiMOZ came out of a conversation with my two young nephews, who were talking to me about their favourite collectibles. Listening to how much information they stored made me realise what an impact it would have if a generation grew up putting that thirst for knowledge into learning about our unique, endangered wildlife.

The game that I created behind the cards then built on that idea, by highlighting dangers that animals face in a human-dominated world, and emphasising the construction of ‘healthy’ ecosystems and the protection of rare species.

What will you have on show at Bowerbird this weekend?
It’s been a really tough time for the organisers – and stallholders – this year, with the markets having to be pushed back a number of times. But it’s actually worked out pretty well for ANiMOZ, as I’ve just launched Booster Packs after a fun Kickstarter campaign. So this weekend I’ll be able to show people not only the Original Ranger Starter Packs, which launched last year, but the new mystery packs as well.

Why are you interested in appearing at Bowerbird?
Although a lot of the business is focussed online or through wholesale, particularly moving forward, I love personal interactions and meeting new people. And one of the greatest things about ANiMOZ is seeing the reaction on kids’ faces when you explain an animal’s Superpowers to them (ANiMOZ species all have Superpowers, which are real adaptations they have in the wild).

I think if you’ve just started a business and you’re not attending markets and getting to know your customers, you’re missing out on one of the truly enjoyable bits about launching a product.

Bowerbird Design Market is happening at the Adelaide Showground from 11—13 December. For more information and to purchase a ticket, visit the website.