Today we’d like to introduce you to Bibi Kemper.
Hi Bibi, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My companies are Small World Goods shop and Dear Friend clothing. Small World Goods is a little shop full of ethically sourced hand made goods from around the world, and Dear Friend is thoughtfully handmade clothing to make you feel as beautiful, comfortable, and confident as you do with your dearest friends.
Small World Goods has been open 3 years now- it’s been a wild ride! I’ve had many jobs and lived around the world. After undergrad, I worked jobs in the States that would allow me to save money and take off to Asia for a couple months every year. When that wasn’t enough, I lived abroad for years, teaching English as another language and then teaching Theatre in international schools. I always felt incredibly inspired by the people, cultures, and crafts of Asia, and wanted to support those artists and traditions in any way I could. After almost 10 years of teaching, I burned out and was seeing a wonderful therapist who asked me what I would do, if anything was possible and money wasn’t an issue. I immediately thought about my love for little import shops, but the products in those shops wouldn’t always last a lifetime. I wanted a shop that focused on beautifully made goods from the places I have the strongest connections with.
When I moved to Austin, I wrote my friends in India, who sent me beautiful things to start selling at pop up markets, and bought a truck retrofitted to a sweet mobile store parked on East 11th St. Because I only work in parts of the world I’ve either lived in or traveled to for at least 10 years, I can go on sourcing trips and hit the ground running. I’m already super comfortable with the people and cultures, and I know what to look for to confirm products are well made and people are treated fairly.
I had been doing that for almost 2 years when the pandemic hit. Markets shut down, and I couldn’t invite people into the tiny space of my truck. So I got really into gardening! And was then invited to be part of an amazing women’s cooperative in Bee Cave. The dream had always been to open my own brick and mortar, so when it looked like things were opening back up, I decided to take the plunge. I was very deliberate in my search for a space, and focused on 1 block of East 6th Street. The building managers told me they would love to have my shop when something opened up, but that probably wouldn’t happen for another year or so. I was fine with taking my time, but when I got an email the following week that a space had unexpectedly vacated I went for it!
I started Dear Friend when I couldn’t find the kind of clothes I wanted to offer at my shop. I spent the first year in the shop looking for clothes that were legitimately ethically made, timeless in style, we could comfortably wear in all stages of our bodies, and were ethically priced. When I couldn’t find them, I realized I have the background and skills to make them myself. I’ve spent so much time in parts of the world where beautiful clothes are made, I made my own clothes my whole life, and worked in costume shops for years. And so Dear Friend was born.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The biggest challenge is having to run all aspects of the business. I’ve had to teach myself about social media, finances, legaleze, inventory, it never ends. I don’t have capital to hire out these jobs yet, so doing it all myself has been a struggle.
The latest challenge is working out how to deal with the new tariffs. It’s a pretty terrifying situation for small businesses, especially ones like mine who work with small batch makers overseas. I can’t ask those people to pay for the tariffs, and my margins are too small to absorb the extra cost. A large part of my business is keeping prices ethical for shoppers as well, so the last thing I want to do is raise prices at the shop. We’ll just have to see what happens.
As you know, we’re big fans of Small World Goods and Dear Friend. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
Small World Goods is like a tiny treasure chest! It’s a small space full of amazingly unique things- most people walk around the shop 3 or 4 times because they see new things every time. Most of what we have from overseas can’t be found anywhere else in the Americas, because I prioritize working with makers I meet in their countries, who don’t have access to the internet or a larger marketplace, and could most use the platform we can provide. I also spend extra time and only work with makers from historically marginalized communities. I’m trying to do what I can to provide opportunities to people who haven’t had as many, and make a difference in the world however I can.
Dear Friend is ethically made clothing to last a lifetime. It’s designed to make you feel as beautiful, confident, and comfortable as you do with your dearest friends. Silhouettes are made with flexible sizing, using only natural fibers, and most designs are breast feeding friendly. We reduce waste by producing in small batches and using scrap fabric in various designs. I’m working with an amazing group of women in Nepal, who are hand looming the cotton fabric, and hand making each garment for us. They are an incredible group that provides training and employment to women who don’t have other opportunities for it. The business we give them also helps them do outreach in their community, like bringing supplies to local schools. Dear Friend is a true labor of love.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
My partner, Kevin, has been an amazing support to me through this crazy life as an entrepreneur! He’s been with me since my pop up market days, and helped me with logo design, photography, technology difficulties, and feeds our dogs and cats when I work crazy late hours. It’s so important to have support at home, and I don’t know how I would have done all this without him!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.smallworldgoods.com
- Instagram: @smallworldgoods
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallworldgoods
- Other: https://www.pinterest.com/smallworldgoods/
Image Credits
Kevin Dick
