Küpie Kitsch Wristlet and Pattern Collection
In the fall of 2025, I took Illustration and Entrepreneurship with Lisa Perrin. One of our main assignments was to design and manufacture a product to be sold at the MICA Store, which immediately caught my interest. As someone who loves pattern design, this felt like the perfect excuse to turn my illustrations into something both fun and functional.
I landed on fabric wristlets because I knew they were something I could realistically pull off within a single semester—especially since I already knew how to sew. Just as importantly, they felt genuinely useful for MICA Store shoppers. Students and faculty alike are constantly juggling IDs to get into campus buildings, not to mention car and house keys, and a wristlet is a small but mighty solution to keeping all of that in one place.
Prototypes using some of my other fabric designs.
Mood-board for inspiration.
Trouble shooting packaging and charm.
The inspiration for this project came from my love of Rose O’Neill and all things kitsch—specifically, “Florida kitsch.” Think cheesy plastic tchotchkes: pink flamingo lawn ornaments, faux floral leis, and delightfully over-the-top souvenirs that toe the line between charming and ridiculous (in the best way).
One unexpected thing I learned along the way was that while Rose O’Neill’s Kewpie is now in the public domain, the word “Kewpie” itself is still trademarked by the mayonnaise manufacturer. Hence, the intentionally silly spelling I concocted.
Exterior print design.
Interior print design for lining.
Exterior print design.
Interior print design for lining.
For the display at the MICA Store, I kept things intentionally simple so the wristlets could do the talking. I stuck to a black-and-white color palette, creating a strong contrast that let the bright patterns stand out instead of competing with the display itself. Sometimes restraint is the best design choice—and in this case, it made the colors pop even more.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this class. Lisa is a wonderful professor who genuinely wants to see her students succeed, which made the entire experience both supportive and motivating. I highly recommend taking her class if you attend MICA.
My biggest takeaway was realizing that designing and manufacturing a product is not nearly as intimidating as it sounds. By breaking the process down into smaller, manageable steps, I learned how to better plan my time, work efficiently, and actually enjoy the process instead of feeling overwhelmed.
If you are interested in these print designs, you can find them on my Spoonflower shop!