NZ Designers Such As Ian Blackwell Distribute Their Souvenirs At Toggle

Hopeful NZ Designers will be acquainted with Ian Blackwell products and his reputation. Ian Blackwell was born in Te Awamutu, a farming city situated in the Waikato. Ian Blackwell’s Mother and Dad were sharemilkers and they lived on farms in and around the Waikato until I was 8. In 1976 my elders took the brave move of turning their back on the farm and moved to Auckland in the hope there would be more chances for my sister and I.

I left school at the tender age of sixteen and started a Pattern Cutting and Footware Design tutelage for the Selby Shoe Company. A company that had built it’s reputation on robust practical footware for the over 50′s ladies set. As you can imagine, not many leading sellers were designed by myself. These were pre PC ( at Selby’s anyway ) days and shoes continued to be designed on mid size lasts wrapped in masking tape, with designs being drawn by pencil. Samples were all hand made and conferences ensued with sales staff to choose the seasons collection. How very” Project Runway! ”

And just like project runway not everybody makes it. In the mid eighties Rogernomics hit city and “deregulation” was the new jargon word. The Footware and Clothing industries were one of the first to feel the effects. The Selby Shoe Company is now a block of residences in St Lukes ( Auckland ).

Get yourself a trade child! Was my Dads information, it’s stood me in good stead. On completion of my Carpentry / Cabinet Making tutelage, I did what most young Kiwi’s still do, go overseas and party like it’s 1999.

Actually 1999 was still in the future ( how quaint ), when I returned and in 1992 together with my best mate Jonathan Rugg started” The Wood & Box Company”. We made glory boxes, wine racks, trays etc and sold them to the general public through “The Great New Zealand Craft Show”. Luckily we didn’t know about carbon footprints in those days. Ours was stalwart massive as we travelled from Whangarei to Invercargill doing twenty-three Homeshows and Craftshows a year!

As it turns out we did party in 1999 as that was the year we sold “The Wood & Box Company”. Sadly it now only exists on Trademe, so if you need a preloved wine or CD rack examine it.

The better news is you can still buy my Ian Blackwell products. I have taken all my technical abilities and experience from over time to develop a range I’m really happy with. I’m married and happy and live with my wife, half a dog ( that is another story ) and 2 cats on Auckland’s West Coast. Life is good. If you got this far thanks for your interest.

Where do we get our inspiration from?

Living in this part of the Earth you do not want to look far…. We try to soak a piece of New Zealand into each piece we create. Employing a blend of standard and new woodworking methodologies we produce a selection of giftware that mixes the aesthetics of Aotearoa functionally and practically. We have got the latest laser
Technology enabling us to produce quality and quantity either to your specifications or ours.

Purchase Ian Blackwell and other NZ Designers gifts at Toggle.