Artist Spotlight: Jennifer McNichols
Calling all sustainable fashion lovers! Ever wondered where the perfect bag (made with a dash of originality) comes from? Meet Jennifer McNichols (she/her), the creative mind behind Nice Package Austin, who transforms upcycled materials and interesting fabrics into one-of-a-kind accessories!
When did you start making bags and accessories?
I started making bags and accessories for Nice Package about two years ago.
Which aspect of creating is your favorite?
I love working with unusual upcycled materials and combining interesting designs of fabrics to make something new! Experimenting can be frustrating and time-consuming, but when I have an idea, I'm like a dog with a bone until I figure it out. In the end, it's much more satisfying to make items on repeat after putting all of that effort into figuring out something I can do that meets my personal standards for quality and just a little bit of originality, while leveraging a lot of lessons learned from other makers.
Where do you get your inspiration?
I’ve long had an appreciation of quality textiles and patterns, and the way I appreciate them probably relates to my background in color photography and art history. I like sourcing fabrics from different countries and textile traditions, and using upcycled materials like upholstery samples and combining them with small amounts of new materials to scale up my ability to produce handmade items at an affordable price point. I also enjoy experimenting with new processes; I’m currently working to incorporate screen printing into my use of upcycled patterned and plain fabrics.
What is your preferred way to engage with your audience?
I do a lot of live events, and always learn about customer preferences that way. I tend to be most excited about products with some complexity to their purpose, like furoshiki handbags I saw in Japan, and emerging trends, like multipurpose hair ribbons. Vending at live events helps me understand customers’ level of familiarity with new concepts and work out the best way to explain them to engage customers. However my business may grow in the future, these early feedback loops are important for product development.
How does reuse play a part in your creativity?
When I need to work with new materials, I’m always looking at ways to work towards reuse or upcycling. At Nice Package’s parent brand, Not Nice (also just me and my husband!) we make earrings upcycled from aluminum cans mounted on cork, and we are always exploring ways to make or repurpose anything we can do efficiently or add value with. The same goes for Nice Package. I use as many upcycled fabrics as I can get my hands on (mostly from ACR!), and we are looking at ways to make our purses handles ourselves out of various materials that are more locally sourced, or that we could produce using locally sourced raw materials, or that we could make using an upcycling technique of some kind.
What compels you to donate to ACR?
I donate to ACR because I know my craft items will find good homes and people who are excited to use them creatively.
Do you have a favorite ACR find? How did you use it?
My most useful ACR find is a set of soft boxes that I use to light the photographs I take of my products. My favorite recent find is a little ceramic figurine of a medieval sea monster, the kind that looks like a cross between a dolphin, a duck and an old man with a mustache. (And I am always thrilled with the amazing fabric I find at ACR!)
Where can we find out more about your work?
Instagram: @not_nice_creations for the upcycled earrings @nicepackageaustin for fabric goods
And our newly launched website for the earrings is www.notnice.us
