Q&A with Outer Island

We take 5 with Outer Island creative ladies Stephanie Chambers and Amy Ranck - the collaborative duo behind Outer Island. 

What is your 'origin story'?! Where did it all start?

We love traveling, collecting and being in nature. I'm from New York and Amy is from Australia so we joke that we're both from islands, which is where the name Outer Island comes from, but really what connects us is our love for collecting and making things. Last year we moved to Sydney from Brooklyn and had our first Aussie Christmas together. Inspired by our endless birding and bushwalking, we wanted to bring the magic of Australian nature to our own Christmas tree. We moved here with our beloved ornament collection, but found it hard to find unique, colourful, well designed Aussie ornaments. So we created our own and Outer Island was born.
 

Describe the last thing you made?

We were in the studio earlier today experimenting with new ornaments. I was learning to paint a snail, something I haven't done before! It's always fun getting to experiment with new products to see what works and what doesn't.
 

Where is your favourite spot in Sydney and why?

Our favourite spot in Sydney is Sydney Harbour National Park. It's so easy to get to and you feel like you're completely out of the city. Each time we go something different is in bloom along the track and we always see lots of birds. Plus, there are plenty of beaches along the walk to take a swimming break at.
 

Who should we be following on Instagram? Who are your favourite local makers?

There are so many local makers that we love. Our favourite is Anna Vu from goodfoodcrapdrawing. She creates such unique drawings and we also learn about a lot of new restaurants through her work! To name just a few others on Instagram: ratatak_ceramics, edithrewa, and anitpastel.
 

What are your dream project ambitions?

Our ultimate goal would be to have our products very accessible to tourists to provide them with an alternative souvenir that's handmade, actually made in Australia and produced sustainably from natural materials.

Outer Island will be opening their studio for one night only, allowing visitors an insight into their creative space. 

Craft Up Late, Wednesday 11 October, 5pm - 8pm. 

Find out more about their event here and discover other places you can visit in Darlinghurst for Craft Up Late here.

Outer Island ornaments and teatowels are available from Object Shop, at the Australian Design Centre.