Five Questions With Champ

Champ stall at Finders keepers Brisbane AW18 – captured by Samee Lapham

Founder, director and head designer at Champ Co, Lauren Steller was trained with MA in Architecture at RMIT Melbourne. After working at several Architecture firms in Melbourne, Lauren started Champ Co as a business that would develop her interest in play theory and exercise design in many other mediums other than architecture. Lauren runs both bespoke architectural projects along side a design product sales business to always incorporate her avid interest in human play.

How did you come to be a seller at Finders Keepers?

Champ is a label with two design streams. We run a design service, architecture and interior design as well as making products, selling wholesale and occasionally in markets. The two elements of design services and product always inform each other and there’s a nice pull between the two. The things we like to design are a celebration of play and sustainability. The lovely thing about designing and making products is we get to put them out in the world and see them be enjoyed by many people.

Lauren, Founder, director and head designer at Champ. image credit photographer Trenton Johnson-Boe

Hoops and Loops in Blue and Grey Speckle – designed and handmade by Champ. image credit photographer Trenton Johnson-Boe

Production, ideas and research in the Champ studio. image credit photographer Trenton Johnson-Boe

Talk us through a typical day in the life of Champ. 

Champ is currently split between Melbourne and Hobart, While I direct most of the incomings and outgoings of Champ, I manage our design services from beautiful Tassie. Jade (Studio Manager) runs the production studio in Melbourne where everything is assembled and handmade by herself, and our new addition, Sarah.

Who inspires you and your creative process?

There’s no particular person or people that inspire my work. Champ is all about being resourceful and embracing play, so, every day experiences contribute to new ideas and resolving problems. For me, it’s all about just getting out into the world, not following or reading about it.

Champ stall at Finders keepers Brisbane AW18 – captured by Samee Lapham

Champ stall at Finders keepers Brisbane AW18 – captured by Samee Lapham

Tell us about your inspiration for creativity?

I’m often impressed by other market stallholders getting out there and doing their thing. I have met some really lovely people over many different markets. It takes lots of effort to put yourself forward and stand up for your creative trade.

What goals do you have for your business over the next five years?

So many ambitions for the future. But mostly, I hope to build a healthy business that supports our creative drive. To research more into objects and actions of play, and bring our findings back into things we can offer, that are strong with content, considered, practical and are sustainable.

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Champ stall at Finders keepers Brisbane AW18 – captured by Samee Lapham

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