Imakiro is the perfect example to discover the infinite possibilities of such an ancient and versatile material as paper. Her work combine tradition, style and know-how. Colours and shapes dialogue around a handcrafted work, where details are the protagonists. In Labois we interviewed Belén, the person behind Imakiro. With her hands she makes flowers, lamps and mobiles using paper as the only support. A firm commitment to local and sustainable production that stems from the author’s own experience – and spirit.
Behind Imakiro
Tell us who you are and how you ended up making paper flowers.
Since I was a child I loved painting and colouring. I spent hours painting with my hands. Art classes were my favourite. I remember my childhood with my mother making bobbin lace, cross stitch, clay figurines… I inherited from her my passion for crafts and handicrafts. Encouraged by my painting teacher in the artistic baccalaureate, I decided to study Fine Arts, and although I was passionate about painting, I specialised in conservation-restoration.
I started my career as a restorer and worked in the sector for a few years. I have always been very attentive to detail and enjoyed solitude and silence, but I felt I needed to do something more, so I decided to take a postgraduate and master’s degree in Cultural Management. After a few years managing different cultural projects, I realised that my interests were still there, and although I had always been accompanied by the belief that I didn’t feel talented, I discovered, to my amazement, that my creativity had always been there and I simply had to find My why and My what for.
From that moment on, partly motivated by motherhood and due to a redundancy, I decided, for the first time, to manage my own personal and professional project. It all started with a painting of butterflies made with coloured paper. It was a handmade gift from two great friends. I asked my friend Patri to teach me how to make those delicate butterflies and from that moment on I started practising origami and creating different figures. Patri gave me a paper kit from Japan back in 2016 and in 2017 I decided to travel to the country myself to soak up the culture. I continued practising in a self-taught way in all my free time, being the art of paper folding the protagonist of this new adventure.
What does Imakiro mean?
Imakiro comes from the Japanese word Orikami: ori “to fold” and kami “paper”. Its inverted reading has given rise to the name of this brand, which started out focused on setting the living and play spaces of the youngest children, with products far removed from children’s clichés, produced on a small scale and locally. Little by little Imakiro has been growing and expanding into other areas such as decoration, window dressing and paper flowers.
How long have you been making a living from your business? Was it always clear to you that you wanted to be an entrepreneur?
I had never really considered entrepreneurship before. Motivated in part by motherhood and due to redundancy, I decided, for the first time, to manage my own personal and professional project. I launched the website about 3 years ago, although the idea had been in my head for a long time. After discovering the infinite possibilities that paper has, I started to learn mainly self-taught, watching tutorials, reading specialised books, informing myself about other references, … I travelled to Japan in 2017, just when I was pregnant with my first daughter. Once there I tried to soak up as much as I could of Japanese culture, its people, traditions, rituals, … and of course origami. I discovered a beautiful universe of handmade papers made with local plants, with different colours, textures, motifs, etc. that caught my attention and that today are part of my creative space.
Tell us more about your project. What does your business consist of? What kind of product do you make?
I started setting the scene for the little ones’ living and playing spaces with lamps, garlands and decorative mobiles above all, using paper as the only medium, a touch of poetry and a lot of origami! Colours and patterns far removed from children’s clichés, pink and blue. Personalised products that the customer can make to measure, to their taste, choosing the shapes and colours they like best. Simple lines and pure materials inspired by nature, oriental culture and the philosophy of less is more. Each piece is folded and assembled with my own hands, taking up just the right amount of space and offering great beauty and harmony to the environment. I always work on a small scale and locally.
Little by little Imakiro has been growing and expanding to other areas, working with brands and entities such as Rituals, Casa Asia or the Mandarin Oriental hotel, photographers such as Noelia Oliver or Dídac Balanzó, Isabel Coixet and the series Foodie Love premiered on HBO. I also like to work closely with small shops, with spaces such as Librería Sendak and Mon Pettit Ó. In addition to other work in window dressing, weddings and events, workshops and selling my own products. You can browse my portfolio to see some of my work.
I try to take care of our planet with respectful designs. I use high quality papers that minimise environmental impact and are recycled. Papers from local suppliers and handmade papers from Japan and other parts of the world where the ancient tradition of making them by hand is still preserved. They are small treasures where big technologies do not intervene and bring you closer to the natural origin of their materials.
Where can we find your products?
In my online shop you can find decorative mobiles, lamps and garlands, some DIY kits and flowers on request, among other things.
I also run workshops and other activities and report on them in my newsletter.
Finally, I carry out personalised commissions adapted to the needs of each client. Shop windows, event decoration, workshops, etc. I love telling stories through paper, innovating and listening to each proposal!
Tell us more about your face-to-face workshops – are they regular or sporadic? What kind of audience are they aimed at?
I run workshops adapted to the needs of each age group and to the needs of each audience. They are usually held regularly on special dates such as Sant Jordi, throughout the spring or at Christmas. The paper ornaments for the tree workshop is very popular. They are usually for families, to strengthen the bond between parents and children. Also for children from 6 years old and/or adults.
I also give workshops in schools and civic centres, or for companies that want to give extra value to their employees (team building).
The workshops help you learn and get out of your comfort zone. With each group you learn something new and you see that age doesn’t matter. The intention is to enjoy origami and its many benefits, to relax and have a good time, beyond the result. Although we always come up with very cool figures. We work not only with origami, but also with other techniques such as collage, paper cutting or different techniques depending on the age. Always using paper as the main medium.
In your experience as an entrepreneur, what do you find most difficult in your day-to-day work?
Managing emotions and stress. Making a living from your passion and turning your hobby into your business is very difficult, especially in creative, artisanal and emotional projects. You invest a lot of hours and learn in a self-taught way in many occasions. Loneliness makes it much more difficult to make decisions and to constantly monitor the ups and downs. Your mind is constantly active, so it is very difficult not to give up and want to throw in the towel on many occasions.
What is your goal this year, what are you currently working on?
To continue growing, learning and training myself so that Imakiro continues to move forward, carrying out new projects and new collaborations. I would also love to be able to work with someone on a day-to-day basis if I need to and Imakiro grows further. After a very intense first half of the year where I have had the opportunity to work with the Mandarin Hotel and get into the world of paper flowers, it’s time to stop, take stock of everything and take on new projects when the summer comes around. You will laugh, but the Christmas campaign starts soon.
Entrepreneurship and motherhood. Tell us what it’s like to be an entrepreneur and a mum at the same time.
It is very difficult. I feel very lucky to be able to do what I love, but it takes a lot of help and a lot of emotional and financial stability to get started. My partner has always supported me in everything and his work schedule allows him to spend a lot of time with us. My parents also live nearby and help us a lot. In spite of everything and still considering myself privileged, I also decided to start a business in order to manage my time and have a better work-life balance, although the first years of a business are quite the opposite.
Finally, a word of advice for young artisan entrepreneurs:
Be yourself. Entrepreneurship is not easy and involves a lot of physical and mental effort, BUT it is also a constant personal and professional learning process. In creative sectors such as ours, we are driven by the emotional side, which is what pushes us to move forward despite the difficulties.
I encourage everyone who has a few minutes to read this interview and that of many other talented creatives who decide to go for what they are really passionate about and for change. Behind every project there are people, with incredible and endearing stories. Only by knowing these stories is it possible to understand what makes us unique. Who else but us can keep these stories going?
From Labois would like to thank Belén for her collaboration, her time and the opportunity to learn more about her project. We encourage you to discover her story and the originality of her work first hand through her website.
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