Meet sisters, Sasha and Kauri Finlay behind the beautiful, artistic and bespoke offerings of The Ori Project.

The beautiful handmade earrings are a dedication to Japan, a home they miss and a way to express their creativity. They are so talented and we are so happy to be able to shed light on these women doing what they love with a sustainable approach.

We have a giveaway with them starting 01 Dec, see their instagram here

What does Ori/ the Ori Project mean?

Ori (折) derives its name from "Origami," the traditional Japanese art form of folding paper. Ori is described as a prefix which alludes to something beautiful which is yet to come.

When did you start the Ori Project | Where were you right before Ori | What made you start?

Before starting The Ori Project in 2018, Kauri was at University completing her Masters in Graphics Design and Sasha was the Director of a marketing consultancy business. Still to this day, we both have our own full time jobs while running The Ori Project. We were born in Japan and moved to New Zealand when we were quite young. As many individuals who have moved away from their home country may understand, it can be quite difficult to ensure you keep paying homage to your home culture while embracing a new culture. We had this deep desire to somehow revive traditional Japanese arts and that desire flourished into the creation of wearable origami. All of our pieces are handmade by us in Devonport using traditional Washi paper and recycled Chirimen fabric.

 

Tell us a little bit about each of you.

Kauri recently illustrated her first children's book called ‘Finding my Superpower.’ The story follows Ben as he discovers dyslexia superpowers and the amazing ways that dyslexic thinkers see the world.

Sasha decided to go down a completely different career path a couple years ago and is now finishing up her Masters in Health Psychology. If things go to plan, she will be a qualified psychologist shortly!

Who has been the most influential person in doing this? 

This might be a bit of a corny response but I think we are each other's biggest influences and inspirations. We feel so grateful to be able to go through the entire journey of The Ori Project together. We each bring our own strengths to the table and motivate each other to make every aspect of our business better with each collection.

What's your favourite thea item?

This is a tough question, but if we had to choose a favourite product it would have to be the premium organic matcha powder. We are obsessed with anything matcha flavoured. Having matcha with oat milk is a staple in our morning routine. We also love to mix the matcha powder with vanilla ice cream to make our own matcha ice cream.

Final Words

We have just released our new collection, Hanakotoba (花言葉) collection, which refers to the secret language of flowers. Each piece in the Hanakotoba collection reflects a sacred flower in Japanese culture. We are also celebrating the festive season by offering gift wrapping and free shipping New Zealand wide.