Five places that made me: Kristina Karlsson, kikki.K founder

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This was published 6 years ago

Five places that made me: Kristina Karlsson, kikki.K founder

Melbourne, London and New York help inspire Kristina Karlsson in her creative business.

By Julietta Jameson
Kristina Karlsson, kikki.K founder and creative director.

Kristina Karlsson, kikki.K founder and creative director.

MELBOURNE

Having met my partner, Paul, overseas, I followed my heart to Australia and first moved to Melbourne with him at the age of 22 to discover his hometown and country. It was such a cultural hub – the coffee, the culture, the design, the food – I fell in love with Melbourne. It is actually the location of my first store, which has been in Melbourne Central since 2001. Now my second home, Australia is not only where I began to follow my heart, it's the place where I started my family and my dream business.

FALKENBERG, SWEDEN

Swedish design is at the beating heart of inspiration for me, which namely comes from my hometown of Falkenberg or visiting Stockholm. As a child, I had an obsession with stationery – I would always get so excited by the new school term, because it meant being able to stock up on new stationery supplies. My family and friends back home actually gave me the nickname "Kikki", so my heritage is quite literally connected to what I do every day. Falkenberg is my secret getaway, especially as it's where I grew up. I love going back home to reconnect with the people, places and experiences that have inspired who I am today.

LONDON, UK

I find everything so inspiring. I always make the effort to go to Covent Garden, Regent Street and Selfridges whenever I'm there. The buildings alone are just beautiful. I remember the night I figured out what I wanted to do with my life, my purpose, and listing London as a place I had to have a store in.

NEW YORK, USA

I visit New York a couple of times each year to fuel my inspiration. In 2016, I had the pleasure of collaborating with and working alongside Arianna Huffington in New York – another reason it will always be a special place for me. There's something about the stories of people who have lifted up their life and gone to New York to follow their dreams that makes me burst with joy. It's so inspiring to hear and see people following their dreams and achieving them. I feel like you can do anything in New York, so I always come away from there thinking I can do anything I set my mind to. I could spend hours in MOMA.

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MALDIVES

It's so important to have time to switch off and the Maldives is that place for me. I particularly love Kuda Huraa Island, where I've had the most relaxing holidays with the family. There's something for everyone to enjoy and the perfect location to just disconnect, but reconnect with yourself. I take a suitcase of books with me, do yoga every day and always leave feeling relaxed and inspired to take on the world.

Kristina Karlsson is the founder of kikki.K, a retail chain specialising in designer stationery and gifts. See kikki-k.com

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