Meet Victoria Close

We recently connected with Victoria Close and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Victoria, really happy you were able to join us today and we’re looking forward to sharing your story and insights with our readers. Let’s start with the heart of it all – purpose. How did you find your purpose?
As a child I was obsessed with saving things that I found beautiful or interesting. My room was full of boxes within boxes within boxes, ribbons and bows, folded up used wrapping paper and dressing up clothes from the 1950s. Christmas was infuriating for my family as I always insisted (still do) on unwrapping gifts very slowly and carefully so I didn’t ruin the paper!

When I moved to Japan to live, I realised that my actions had an actual name, and that people here also hold the same values as me. The word I found that best fits my core value is ‘Mottainai’ which is the feeling of regret of wasting something that still has some life in it.

This mottainai spirit is what led me to work with forgotten kimono fabrics and other found objects to create one-of-a-kind jewellery pieces.

Thanks, so before we move on maybe you can share a bit more about yourself?
Hello. I’m Victoria Close, the founder of Bikudesigns, a vintage kimono jewellery and accessories brand based in Shimokitazawa, Tokyo. I’m originally from the UK and have been living in Japan for 26 years. I’m from a long line of female entrepreneurs, so it’s no surprise that I went into business for myself after leaving a 17 year career as a primary school teacher. Both my grandmothers and my mum were shop owners, so I grew up around retail.

As well as being shop owners, my grandmothers were trained in creative industries. One was a milliner and one was a seamstress. I grew up to the sound of the sewing machine and with the idea that if you don’t have something you need, just make it, alter it or fix it.

I was a precious metal jeweller before I launched this iteration of Bikudesigns. When my children were born, the metals were put on the back burner as the noxious fumes and dust are not good around babies.
I started experimenting with textiles in 2015 and at that time combined hand-fabricated silver parts with textiles coated in resin.

I love running my own business as my days are so varied. One day I might be designing a new collection, another creating content for my YouTube channel, the next day creating a wholesale order, doing admin, teaching a creative class or one-to-one mentoring small business owners.

My Shimokitazawa studio space opened in Spring 2023 which has given me opportunity to create some new income streams such as teaching creative workshops, curating a tiny studio shop and renting the space to other creatives to teach their own workshops.

Looking back, what do you think were the three qualities, skills, or areas of knowledge that were most impactful in your journey? What advice do you have for folks who are early in their journey in terms of how they can best develop or improve on these?
Running your own business is an exercise in resilience. Suddenly, you have no boss to answer to, nobody checking up on your targets, nobody telling you well done. Staying on track is hard, and showing up every day to your work is a challenge unless you do the important, deep-dive work at the start:

1. Uncover what matters to you and the core thing you want to be known for.
2. Build your brand from your heart and shout about it.
3. Get in front of the people who ‘get’ you (customers/ clients/ accountability buddies, mentors and coaches) as they will keep you on track and motivated to show up.

My advice for people starting out in business is to understand the 80/ 20 rule is true. Most people think that they will be doing the thing they love most 80% of the time and spending the other 20% running the business. However, the reality is the opposite. I spend about 20% of my time working on creative projects, and 80% doing marketing, photography, accounts, shipping, sourcing supplies, website design, e-commerce, emails, content creation and more!

Is there a particular challenge you are currently facing?
Currently, I am in the middle of a big business pivot and trying to manage the jewellery business as well as all the other income streams I have going on. It can feel like a lot at times. I need to spend my time and energy on the things that I find fulfilling and that are also profitable for me financially.

I’m looking to the next 10 years and thinking about what Bikudesigns will look like if, for example, I moved to another country. I’m keen to have a business that will travel with me wherever I go and I’m excited to be in the planning process for that. My studio is currently filled with big pieces of paper and sticky notes while I go through the process of decision-making for the future. It’s very exciting!

Contact Info:

Image Credits
Lisa Knight

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