ve into Singapore next year — its first market in Southeast Asia. “We’re expanding into Singapore, and using that as a beachhead into Southeast Asia,”  Liz Jamieson, Maker & Son general manager for Australasia, told Inside Retail.  “We have some big plans, we’ve got some investors onboard, it’s all pretty exciting for Maker & Son.” The brand now employs over 150 staff globally and has experienced strong demand during the pandemic, growing over 300 per cent year on year.  “We’ve had the benefit of people being in their homes, sitting on their sofas thinking ‘This is uncomfortable’. In the last two years, we’ve tripled growth on the two years prior and quadrupled it this last year,” Jamieson said.  The company is operated by founder Alex Wilcox and his son Felix Conran from West Sussex. Rather than focusing on aesthetics like many other furniture brands, Willcock wanted to prioritise comfort through traditional manufacturing and the use of natural materials.  “[It’s about furniture as] a place of refuge, a sanctuary for yourself or with your children. All the covers are washable, so it’s not some precious, expensive piece of furniture you’re keeping in the good room, it’s for living, for being comfortable, falling asleep on, having your dogs and your children and everyone on it,” Jamieson said. Old meets new While Maker & Son is described as an online company, it fuses some traditional methods into its customer offering such as in-person consultations, home measuring, and traditional manufacturing. It has a fleet of 25 mobile showrooms globally to bring its personal approach direct to customers.  “We’re a digitally native vertical brand and we’re getting some traction there with people confident to order online but, predominantly, people inquire online, or via our Instagram ads, and then we set up a time to go and see them to showcase the furniture,” she said. “Once the brand is more established, I think [online-only sales] will grow.” Maker & Son is set to open its first Australian showroom in the Sydney suburb of Alexandria in early 2022 to connect with consumers in person.  “We’ve got the keys, we’re working on the fitout, and we’ve got a great person to work there that’s really experienced in the industry. It will be a really good space for showcasing our larger pieces including our beds,” Jamieson said.  The company is also hoping to open showrooms in Melbourne and Brisbane in due course. Local manufacturing Maker & Son pieces are handmade with natural and sustainable materials, as part of its mission to prioritise purpose, conscientiousness and craftsmanship. In each market that Maker & Son operates in, it works with select partners to manufacture the products locally. “We have partnered with a family company here in Australia and another one in New Zealand for the region. When we expand into Singapore that will probably be looked after from Australia first, but in time we might find an Indonesian manufacturer, we’re just looking into that now,” Jamieson said.  By working with local manufacturers, the brand can utilise locally sourced materials, making it a more sustainable option than shipping products and materials from overseas. “We have Australian hardwood in our frame, which is different to what we have in the  UK, and it’s different again in New Zealand. We use Australian organic wool as a layer in the upholstery, while they use cotton wadding in the UK,” she said.  Authenticity resonates with customers The brand has become recognisable on Instagram thanks to its videos of brand ambassador Marnie diving onto sofas in various locations, be it at home or on the beach. Jamieson said the Instagram fame happened by accident but she believes it comes down to being authentic and relatable.  “We found that the images of Marnie jumping on the sofas were quite captivating. She was literally the girl next door, she grew up in the house that Alex lives in now. She was a family friend who helped out with taking some photos and she’s now stayed on and is the main ambassador for the brand,” she said.