We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Katherine-Mary Pichulik. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Katherine-Mary below.
Alright, Katherine-Mary thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Do you wish you had waited to pursue your creative career or do you wish you had started sooner?
I began my business www.pichulik.com at the age of twenty-six years old. I felt that I took on too much responsibility too early on. I had payroll, and operating costs that I needed to meet monthly, and in retrospect meant that I missed out on the natural exploration of your mid-twenties of travel, frivolity and play. I would advise creatives to not operationally expand to soon, keep asset-light and agile as long as you can whilst you figure your self out.
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
Pichulik is an ethical jewellery, accessories and womenswear atelier based in Cape Town, South Africa. Rooted in Africa, and inspired by ancient traditions and cultures. Pichulik seeks to impart sacred feminine wisdom through its unique and intentional designs.
Each piece is a talisman, handcrafted from unexpected, organic materials into distinctive forms that share the stories of brave women and celebrate empowering feminine narratives. Each collection captures a different chapter in a heroine’s journey – an odyssey imbued with mythology, symbolism and transformation.
The distinguishing components of any Pichulik jewellery piece are the innovative and sculptural use of locally produced and re-purposed rope, embellished with a variety of unique cast and found exotic materials.
Through distilling sacred wisdom from ancient traditions and myth, Pichulik uses the language of African artistry and ornamentation to honour the bravery and beauty innate to all women, everywhere, echoed in the words, ‘You are Enough’.
The Pichulik team is a pan-African group of spirited women who create everything by hand in our flagship studio in the centre of Cape Town. Led by Founder and Creative Director, Katherine-Mary Pichulik, every jewellery piece is made by a single artist, imbued with her own unique design skill and creative magic.
Pichulik employs women, collaborates with women, and outsources to local women-owned small businesses, to promote job creation and economic activity in local communities, and champion and augment women’s earning capacity.
Pichulik jewellery is handcrafted in our atelier in Cape Town, using unique African contemporary design to celebrate the strength of women around the world. Each piece serves as a totem and talisman. Each piece shares an ancient sacred feminine wisdom.
Pichulik jewellery is distinct in its innovative and sculptural use of re-purposed rope, embellished with a variety of unique cast and found exotic materials, such as fossilised shapes from Niger, brass from West Africa, recycled glass from Ethiopia, Ghanaian agate and abalone shell. Combined with rare organic materials such as jade, horn, shell and stone, and juxtaposed with intricate beadwork, bronze and brass, each piece is unique. Pichulik intentionally uses materials that change over time, celebrating imperfection and the Japanese concept of ‘wabi-sabi’.
Whether it’s the Islamic architecture of Mali, the shades of North African garments, combined with gleams of copper and gold, or subdued desert colours emboldened with gold and gemstone, Pichulik continues to create African jewellery. where urban design, time-honoured craft and Africa’s vibrant colours meet in every neckpiece, bracelet and pair of earrings.
Pichulik sources most of its materials locally, and exclusively manufactures in Cape Town, South Africa.
Katherine-Mary Pichulik is inspired by the intimate relationship women have with jewellery: “It speaks of her travels, her mother or grandmother, and the people she has loved. Pichulik celebrates Africa and sees jewellery and ornamentation as a sacred conduit for healing, community and wisdom.”
“If the Pichulik brand was a person, she would have a wicked sense of humour, a strong yet inspired presence, kind wise eyes that speak of many journeys through exotic lands – humbled by self-discovery. She would smell the way jasmine smells in Johannesburg at the end of winter – promising spring.”
Pichulik journey “Everything is a process, a spectacular unfolding. Each collection, each collaboration, each employee. Each challenge is a learning and offers the opportunity for personal growth and greater compassion.”
Wabi-sabi: “It is my new response to many things. I say ‘wabi-sabi’ when I mean to say “so what?” I am trying to practice radical self-acceptance of my imperfections and mistakes. So, wabi-sabi.”
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
When COVID hit, our revenue dropped to 10%. We were exposed as our “bread and butter” was supplying Southern African Luxury Safari and other hotel spaces as well as large Art museums globally. My Co-Ceo Tracey Chiappini Young and I made a resolute decision, we would respond to the crisis as best we can without, firstly laying off any of our employees (16 full-time employees at the time), and secondly, we would not discount our product and devalue our brand equity at this time. We deep-dived into the numbers and cut down on our product offering. We tried to understand who our women were, and developed communication channels that genuinely added value and a sense of community. We opened a retail area within our studio, by appointment only- this would eventually grow into a more bespoke and intimate retail offering. We took out loans to sustain the team.
It was an incredibly scary time, but we made it through without compromising our values, and the core ethos of the brand.
What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?
I love the research and intentionality. I love the artistic process of a collection developing, from an idea, gaining traction and then moving through our system to becoming actual wearable pieces that live in women’s lives. It is such an honour to adorn people! That our imaginings, and handcraft adorn an earlobe or wrist whilst they go about their day, handling small and epic moments in their lives.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.pichulik.com
- Instagram: @pichulikafrica
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PICHULIK
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katherine-mary-pichulik