Beyond the brand: Ico Traders
One of our most popular brands is the iconic wire homewares and furniture, Ico Traders. With a modern twist on a retro vibe these pieces are multi-purpose and can be used both indoors and outside. Founder and designer Miranda Osborne designs with the intent that these pieces are cherished for years to come. Using wire, coated metal and beautiful oak they truly do stand the test of time. Trend updates are done with introducing new colours and this year toffee and sage have proven popular alongside classic black and white. Designed in Christchurch and made globally we spent five minutes with Miranda to find out more about the brand.
What was your inspiration and driving force to start Ico Traders? When the Christchurch earthquakes turned our lives upside down, it forced me to rethink many aspects of my life. I decided to leave my job as a clothing buyer which required frequent overseas trips & look for a more sustainable career that allowed me to stay closer to my husband and two young daughters.
In 2012 I founded Ico Traders. I was working from home so it was a natural progression for me to start designing for in and around my environment. Wire furniture became my obsession and continues to this day. Designing is an ever-changing process and introducing solid oak as an element into our range means that we can handcraft more here, in New Zealand.
What were doing before it? I have always had an affiliation with design, firstly with a career designing and buying soft furnishing fabrics, then in the clothing industry.
What were the first pieces you created? The first 3 pieces I designed was the Coromandel chair, The Lyttleton stool & the Ponsonby chair, while the latter 2 have been discontinued, the Coromandel has become a firm Ico Traders favourite.
Which products are your best sellers? Tough question! The Willowby hardtop is a great seller for us, The All Day Trays, The Benmore Bench & the Piha Lounger, however the Hokianga Hanging chair always steals hearts & as we only bring a few in at a time, they are always sold out!
Are you available all around the world? We do ship worldwide, but most of our orders are to our fellow kiwis and that’s how we like it.
What makes an Ico Traders piece different from the rest? They are completely original in design and many pieces have been created with multipurpose uses so that you buy less.
What’s the largest scale project you’ve worked on with Ico Traders? While we love to furnish the homes of all New Zealanders, we also have the lovely Georgia Smith join us, who manages our commercial projects selling into hotels and cafes etc. Probably one of the most memorable was sending Coromandel chairs to the Hilton Hotel in Malta.
Which pieces would you say are the most iconic? That would be the Hokianga hanging chair, The Benmore bench and the Coromandel chair – they are my favs.
How have you navigated these tricky times? The first two weeks of Covid were a complete write off to be sure, however, owning your own business means there is always so much to do, upkeeping the website, communicating with my amazing stockists to make sure they have support with information and imagery is ongoing & how I spent the rest of my lockdown. I feel hugely lucky to have been already set up as an online business, to have a following on social media and being able to operate at Levels 1-3.
What’s next for Ico Traders? We are about to launch three new colours for the Spring season, some gorgeous Sunnybrellas & sand free swim towels and a new Ico Traders family member – look out for Bernie.
Shop Ico Traders here.