How FAZEEK found their glass groove
Today, she's the founder of iconic Australian glassware brand FAZEEK, but Jackie Fazekas has lived quite a few creative lives already.
"I am a multi-disciplinary designer," she says, telling us she's worked in "fashion, homewares, with metal, fabric and now glass." FAZEEK devotees might remember when the brand was best known for its beautiful hand-crafted soaps, inspired by terrazzo. But for Jackie, it all boils down to one thing: "my favourite thing has to be designing. To be able to dream, and take inspiration from everything around me and turn that into something that will bring others joy, is an incredible privilege."
It's a feeling we know all too well at Mustard, which is why we knew FAZEEK would be the perfect partner to join forces with in a celebratory collaboration. Together we created The Flutes, a set of colourful champagne glasses, to launch our Glass Collection. Along the way we learnt a whole lot not only about glass, but about FAZEEK and Jackie's journey.
the smile factor
No matter what material or medium she's working in, when Jackie creates a new product the first test is the simplest. She asks herself, "Do they make me smile?" A glance at the FAZEEK range is almost guaranteed to provoke a smile, from the sheer delight of seeing a clear cylindrical vase sprinkled with tiny colourful cubes of glass, to their signature wave glasses that look like bright flowers growing on fine glass stems. "There is nothing better than seeing that look on someone's face," Jackie says. "There should be a carefree nature to what we create. After all, it doesn't need to be that shape or that colour, it doesn't need to have pearl drops on the edge, but that unnecessary makes it so much more than just a functional piece – which it is, too."
The perfect blend of form and function – at Mustard, we call it 'pretty and practical,' and it's our favourite combination.
heart of glass
Designing The Flutes gave us such a fascinating insight into the world of glass. With colour at the heart of everything we do at Mustard, we knew we wanted to incorporate our signature rainbow and FAZEEK's iconic shapes.
But, as Jackie explains, crafting hand-blown glassware is as much an art as it is a science. "Hand-blown glassware, while celebrated for its unique artistry and craftsmanship, can sometimes present challenges such as inconsistencies in shape, thickness, and durability," she tells us. "As a brand, we embrace these limitations as they are part of the storytelling. Each piece, by nature, is individual and corresponds to the owner, we are all individual just as each piece is. For us this just adds to their charm. Whether it be the different tones, or the finishing process, that is the beauty of something so organic."
shape shifter
Speaking of organic, that's one word you could use to describe the FAZEEK brand itself, which has been through many different iterations from table linens to soaps and more. As a founder, how does Jackie know when it's time to pivot, and when something is really working?
"Sometimes there are passion pieces like the Geo Bowl," she explains, "which I had at home as a one-off before we made it into a retail item. It's quirky and juxtaposes shapes. Other times you are looking at the brand and trying to see where it has possible range extensions. We are now more intentional than ever about the direction of the brand, compared to when we started. The soaps are a great example, it's where I started but they take so long to make there is no way we could scale the business with them. They may return in a different form in the future, but that was a great example of when we just knew we had to pivot."
But it was 2020 that really set FAZEEK on its latest, most lightning-speed trajectory yet. That was when the brand's iconic wave coupes "just took off," Jackie says. "During Covid we just had to hang on for the ride as they took on a life of their own."
future focus
The ride shows no signs of slowing down. It's an exciting time for FAZEEK, but with the excitement comes new challenges, too. "Handling the growth in an SME (that's small business talk for small to medium enterprise!) is not easy," Jackie says. "Whether it be stock requirements or just resourcing for the team, it's a constant assessment. We have a great supply chain, but there were times as we were growing that that was also a challenge. Any growth brings those challenges, but we are building a great team with some incredible talent and that is a huge comfort to me as we continue to grow."
So, what are they growing towards? "Some of the development we have in the pipeline has me the most excited I have been in a long time. We talk about FAZEEK being a brand that is behind the privacy of home, and this can be a restriction in how we amplify the brand as it is by nature private. This year will see some of that change as we take FAZEEK into the wild, and it's going to be amazing."
We'll cheers to that – and we have just the special glasses for the toast!
