pico. | the story behind

a hobby 

Growing up I had all sorts of favorite pastimes, most of which were largely dependent on my imagination. The scale tilted towards the intangible and imaginary for the most part until I discovered beads. My grandma stored hundreds of them in all shapes, sizes and colours in a round straw box. Of course I didn't know what to do with them (other than stare at them with heart eyes) so I relied on her to teach me how to turn them into something I could wear. We started super simple with thread as the base and made bracelets using bright yellow transparent glass beads -I still remember their exact colour and how they shined under the summer sun! I was mesmerized and tried to find more materials to work with, like my mum's vintage jewellery that I would repurpose and make into something new, something that looked a bit like the design that manifested in my mind. To save her jewellery collection, my mum helped me find jewellery supply stores. There were two shops that I loved and kept visiting every so often to see what was new. I went on to make creations out of fabric, plastic, wood, metal, ceramic -anything I could get my hands on. Soon I found myself surrounded by little trinkets that I had made with my own two hands so I started gifting them to friends and family.

mySpace hustler

The encouragement and confidence I got from my immediate environment made me want to take it to the next level. I thought it would be cool to upload and showcase them on MySpace which was all.the.rage back then. I got a few likes, I got a few comments until one day a girl messaged me to ask if I sold my jewellery and I was like huh? I decided to say yes and she bought 12 items off me! I realized that this could turn into an actual business or at least a good side hustle to fund my travels. But what was my business going to be called, how would I sell my jewellery? Loads and loads to think about...

what's in a name?

Once I decided I was really doing this I knew I had to give my newly formed business a name. I was listening to a Beatles song one day and it hit me "Little Darling" from their song Here Comes the Sun. My jewellery was fun, quirky and quite girly when I started off so the name was fitting. In the beginning, I was heavily influenced by music and I would name my designs after songs of my favorite musicians like Arcade Fire, Devendra Banhart, Neutral Milk Hotel, Mando Diao, the list goes on and on (and on). This blog was also created because of Little Darling, all the in-the-know blogs advised that jewellery makers should have a blog to post about their process and business, I thought it would help getting the word out so I did it, it was first 

Setting up shop

Back in 2010 the online marketpace looked a whole lot different & felt a little less crowded. If you wanted to set up your own shop you either

I even showcased my wares on MySpace which was all.the.rage back then. A girl asked me if I sold my jewellery and I was like huh? I decided to say yes and she bought 12 items off me! I realized that this could turn into an actual business. Step one: give my newly formed business a name. I was listening to the Beatles at the time so I decided to name it Little Darling* -from their song Here Comes the Sun. I was heavily influenced by music and I would name my designs after songs of my favorite musicians like Arcade Fire, Devendra Banhart, Neutral Milk Hotel, Mando Diao, the list goes oooon. Ten whole years later and it's still here! With a new name to reflect the growth and transition: PICO. Based in sunny Thessaloniki, Greece, PICO is a fashion brand for women who gravitate towards feminine, cool and sophisticated style. We create items that are made to last beyond the season. Welcome to PICO.

from little darling to pico.

from handmade business to brand

PS: pico, will be at The London Artisan market on the 31st of March & 1st of April