Who we love
Meet the makers behind the collections.
Julie Baby Punch Club
Born by chance between an artist Andel Olivier and a team of highly talented nannies. Andel initially did the majority of the designing, but the team members are increasingly expressing their own creativity and skill to execute mad cool pieces. (all cushions we do are custom made to order so it’s a collaboration on all fronts). Their work earned Julie Baby Punch Club grand prize in an Acer competition, which gave the women business training and a cash prize to equip themselves with laptops to help them run the operation. These masterful pieces are fool-proof gifts, outright artworks, and will help (the now six) local craftswomen continue to supplement their income.
SHOP THE RANGEARK Workshop
The ARK family cares about craft. They see woodcraft and skill nearing extinction so their aim is to preserve it and pass it on to the next generation.
A South African family business with a passion for working with wood.
You won’t know them as toy manufacturers (this little treasure was made especially for us). They are best known for bringing people, nature and design together executing flawless, high quality, lasting home wear.
They never take shortcuts as they want their pieces to fall in the ‘heirloom’ category of furniture and home. May their toys last in your toy box for your great, great-grandchildren.
Because I Love You
Janri and her magic hands… This curation came about as a gift to the founder’s daughter from a very famous South African design duo.
Janri comes from a long line of women to whom knitting and sewing and crocheting and beading formed an integral part of their day.
Their big baskets filled with every possible colour wool always held magic. From that was born a passion to create beauty using every piece of string she finds along the way. “Because I you” is dedicated to her grannies, her mom and her two sisters.
My Raffia Land Smock
With a mission statement to provide authentic, handcrafted, home-made products of high quality, this family-run business based out of Madagascar has stayed true to their word.
Each dress purchase not only gets your girls looking chic its sale financially supports a community and growth of a female-run business in Africa.
Rupert & Rosie
Celebrating turning three this year Rupert and Rosie works together with small local artisans, who are masters at their craft, to create garments with a unique old-world feel.
Supporting and uplifting communities and giving jobs back to an incredibly skilled generation. The future holds a dream to empower the next generation with the skills and knowledge to create with understanding of quality.
Heartworks
One of our most inspiring encounters whenever the Big Little Store team gets a chance to visit the ladies. Heartworks is who inspired us to begin this journey of creating a platform to curate and sell exquisitely made craft items.
A community of the most extraordinarily skilled women stitching and sewing, creating masterpiece after masterpiece. We try to get them involved in any and all collaborations as the team is just magic and everything, they touch is unique and perfect.
Research Unit
Established in 2011 by husband-and-wife team, Chad and Erin Lee Petersen. They were a couple on a mission to learn high-level skills of making and perfecting quality accessories. They had the eye they just didn’t have the skill... to start.
Fast forward to many hours on Youtube and intense research and documenting trial and error processes they mastered the art. Next steps were to upskill community members to go along with their journey. Every team member has been taught by the couple and have allowed a huge community give back.
Having started their business with funding from the sale of an i-phone 4 got when they took out a 24-month contract when no one else would support them this team really shows that with hard work and determination dreams do come true.
Myrtle Edwards
Being blessed with a very creative, practical mother who taught her everything she knows she knitted her first jersey at age 5. Later in life, she was blessed with three very creative children who always shared their knowledge and passion with her.
Whenever there is a new kid on the block Myrtle has gifted them one of her extraordinary pieces (this includes the founder's daughter) Her three children are also on her case to knit for all their friends' new arrival gifts.
‘I do not like knitting from patterns.’ Says Myrtle. ‘Since lockdown started, I have changed my designs and patterns. I think the new designs started when my son's friends had a baby whom they called, Miro.
That inspired me to knit a jersey using a Miro design.’ After that one, more ideas come to her mind. ‘ I love what I am doing and I get excited about each new little jersey.’ These treasures are rare once-off finds, easy to wear and wash.