Isaac’s Bazaar and The Whitechapel Centre

When starting up a business most people think of licenses, business rates, taxes, and insurance. However, Lindsay Kirkcaldy isn’t most people! Before she launched Isaac’s Bazaar she got in touch with us to find out the best way she could support homeless people in Liverpool with her new business. We met in a coffee shop at the start of the year and while I would happily have sat and spoke to Lindsay forever, she never would have got around to launching her exciting new business if I kept her there. A few months and one global pandemic later, Isaac’s Bazaar was officially born…

Julianna: Tell us a bit about the business and what you do!
Lindsay: My business is Isaac’s Bazaar, an online shop specialising in creating unique furnishings and art for your home. Everything I offer is inspired by music, exclusively designed (by me!) and handmade in the UK. Alongside the products I’ve made for my shop, my concept is to enable my customers to celebrate the soundtrack of their lives in their homes and create their own future heirloom furniture – kind of like your own personal memorabilia inspired by the most important music from your life – with my bespoke design and upholstery service.

Julianna: Why did you go for the name ‘Isaac’s Bazaar’?
Lindsay: It was after having my son (Isaac) that I sought a new career and creative outlet and retrained in upholstery, so it only seems right to name the business after him! The “bazaar” part is because I didn’t want to just be tied to one product or service – I love upholstering and upcycling pieces that we’re otherwise headed for landfill and giving old family heirlooms a new lease of life, but also enjoy creating new pieces, cushions and art prints and I’ve got lots of plans for a variety of products to showcase my designs in the future. And bazaar just sounded more interesting than shop or market!
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Julianna: What made you choose The Whitechapel Centre? And why is it important to you?
Lindsay: In this day and age, living in a wealthy country there should be absolutely no reason for anyone to be without a home or food. I’ve felt sickened when I’ve personally witnessed the way that some of the most vulnerable people can be treated by members of the general public on street. For the most part it’s sheer luck of the circumstances you’re born in to that means you can have and keep a home. The job insecurity and austerity measures of recent years have highlighted how easily life can become very difficult very quickly, and there’s nothing quite like a global pandemic that impacts everything to shine a spotlight on how precarious all of our current circumstances are.
When I decided to retrain and set up my business I had two objectives – to make beautiful things and to use my skills to try to do some good. Given that my products and services are centred on homewares, there seems a nice synergy in using that platform to support a homeless charity. Being from Liverpool, it’s the staff and volunteers of The Whitechapel Centre that I have seen doing the good work on the streets, so I’ve always known that’s where I wanted to focus my charitable efforts. In fact, I reached out before I’d even completed my training so I could build it in from the start! Now more than ever I think we really need some kindness and to take care of each other.

Julianna: What will you be doing to support us? 

Lindsay: As part of my debut collection I’ve created a special print from which 100% of the proceeds will be donated to The Whitechapel Centre. The print features a silhouette of the Liver Buildings, a starry sky and the text “RIVER COOL” up in lights. It was inspired by the song “Mersey Paradise” by The Stone Roses – the lyric from the song is “River cool’s where I belong, In my Mersey paradise”, which I just felt really fitting. The print is available on my website and some are also going to be in the Open Door charity shops. In the future I plan on more special pieces in aid of The Whitechapel Centre, and perhaps some special auctions or raffles to help raise money and awareness, so watch this space!

​You can also purchase the ‘River Cool’ charity print here: https://www.isaacsbazaar.com/shop/art-prints/river-cool-100-charity-print/ ​

Julianna: Can you explain your creative process when designing/imagining these pieces?
Lindsay: Everything I create is inspired by music. I’m a music lover but can’t play an instrument so creating patterns and prints based on it is kind of my musical creative outlet. Being from Liverpool, obviously the first piece I ever made was a homage to The Beatles – in that case I took my version of the iconic Sgt Pepper’s uniforms and found a row of vintage cinema seats to dress in them. In other cases I’ll have an old chair, then sit in it for a while until the musical inspiration hits (for example, I recently reupholstered a vintage telephone chair which was inspired by Call Me/Hanging on The Telephone by Blondie). I’ll start with a song or an artist, then there’s a lot of sketching and digital design work to produce my custom fabrics. I always get a buzz when I create physically exactly what I imagined.

Julianna: What’s the best business advice you can give to someone else? Or the best business advice you’ve received?
Lindsay: Well, my business is new and so I’m not sure I’m in a position to give business advice just yet! But I think the most important and best advice I’ve received (and learned through my previous freelance work as a photographer) is to be authentic and find your niche. I also think it’s a great idea to use your skills to help others.

Celebrate the soundtrack of your life and check out Isaac’s Bazaar online at https://www.isaacsbazaar.com/
​You can also purchase the ‘River Cool’ charity print here: https://www.isaacsbazaar.com/shop/art-prints/river-cool-100-charity-print/

Since speaking to Lindsay she has continued to use her skills to help others, and has released another print in aid of The Whitechapel Centre. A humorous yet poignant reminder to look after your mental health, the “U OK Hun?” print can be purchased at Isaac’s Bazaar online: https://www.isaacsbazaar.com/shop/art-prints/u-ok-hun-eye-test-style-print/