Interview – Tani Jakin of Blue Attic

Blue Attic Café in East Brunswick is one of those stores that you look into when walking past, and it beckons to be explored. Once stepping into the store, a treasure trove of goods await ranging from retro and upcycled clothing, to t-shirts sporting graphic designs, handmade jewellery, funky accessories, original artwork and quirky homewares.

Blue Attic was opened by Tani Jakin in October 2007, showcasing a handful of wares from local independent artists and craftspeople. Since then the range has grown significantly, with Blue Attic now displaying over 45 different stockists – predominantly from the Brunswick area!. Her stockists however are not the only creative folk. At a young age, Tani became a proficient portrait artist, spent some time being an aerialist in a circus, and since turning her hand to sewing has become a costumier. She also does a bit of Irish and Burlesque dancing and teaches a stretch class at Bottoms Up Burlesque too!. 

At the Blue Attic Café, you can purchase organic snacks, drinks, and treats, and even buy fresh biodynamic tofu – made by Tani’s father’s company!

1.      You have a wide range of skills – What inspired you to open Blue Attic?  I trained myself as an artist from the age of 8, became quite proficient but as a young adult realised that female artists have a very hard time being recognised. I was doing pavement art at the time and became quite disillusioned. Later, when my now 7 year old daughter was very small I taught myself to sew. This led to me wanting to do something with my skills that would mean employment for me whilst allowing my child to have complete access to me as a single parent. I decided to open a shop and live there too. I attained my cert 4 in small business through the government scheme called NEIS.   

2. How has your store evolved from when you first started it to now?  When I first opened I had very few stockists. Now I have over 45! It is incredible how many talented people there are in East Brunswick and Melbourne. The shop has undergone many changes in styling and display. Originally it was red and purple, now it is pink and black and exceptionally pretty. The stock is constantly evolving too. I have also expanded the organic café portion of the shop to include Boscastle pies, made in Brunswick, and vegan and gluten-free cakes and biscuits also made locally. I recently shifted coffee and soft drink suppliers, preferring to deal with smaller companies. My organic coffee is delivered from the city by bicycle! 

3. You stock a great range of locally made products – How did you source it all/Do you have any particular favourites?   Originally I sourced stock by sending out a group email, asking friends and family to forward it on to interested artists and designers. This provided enough wonderful stockists to open the shop – which is run on a consignment basis. Since then the growth in numbers has been due to people coming into my store, seeing how it is run and wanting to bring in their stock too. Everything is of such high quality and made with love and passion. As a result the products are extra special and each has a story. I know every designer personally and am able to share the background of each product with the customer.  

4. What have been your major challenges operating Blue Attic?   So many challenges! The biggest has been trying to keep sane while working so hard. Running my own business is a huge undertaking. It is exhausting! You are entirely responsible for everything. Admittedly I like a challenge, but sometimes it can be overwhelming.   Current challenges have been a tryptic combination; firstly the economic downturn has had a massive impact on the business, as people are spending their money on cheaper goods imported from overseas. What we are not taught as consumers is that if we spend our money on locally made products, the ripple effect massively improves the local economic situation – not to mention the effect on pollution clean up and the like.  

Secondly there are apartments being built across the road, resulting in general upheaval! This has been going on for a year, and will probably continue for another 6 months. When completed it will be a wonderful thing!

Thirdly my daughter’s father died a year ago which impacted both our lives. We are both slowly on the mend and saving up for a much needed break.

5. What can we expect to see at Blue Attic over the next 12 months?  I am sewing again, so my own contributions to the store will increase.  More stockists will be coming on board too, including more women’s clothing and a new range of sweatshop free tee shirts for men. The shop is constantly undergoing rearrangement – as new stock arrives a place has to be found for it to go! This year I will be focusing on spreading the word about locally made eco friendly products and promoting Blue Attic. I am also in the process of creating an online store so people from interstate and abroad can enjoy access to our products.  

6. Share with us your easy eco living tip!  Every time I have a shower, I run the water into a bucket as it is warming up, this gets poured directly into my washing machine – reduces the bill and general water wastage.  

 

Blue Attic Café is located at 323 Lygon St, East Brunswick.  Opening hours : Tues – Fri 9.30 am to 5.30 pm and Sat 12pm -  4pm.