Meet JANDO

A Secret Stash

Julie stumbled across a series of screen prints Owen had been working on in his spare time. She instantly fell in love with them and knew there was something there. She approached several retailers who, much to Owen’s surprise, wanted to stock them immediately.

We screen-printed the rest of the collection at home and began building it out. We also set up an Etsy store to sell our work online. All of this was done in the evenings and on weekends while we were still working full-time jobs.

It was a small, hopeful beginning and the start of something very special.

Markets + Fairs

We had some simple branding, a small online presence and slowly but surely we started to build a community. We juggled full-time jobs while building JANDO in our spare time, creating prints, tote bags, greeting cards and stationery to sell at flea markets and craft fairs.

It was all new and nerve-wracking, but those markets taught us so much and gave us the chance to meet our customers face to face. It gave us the encouragement to keep going and in September we exhibited our work at the prestigious London Design Fair.

Owen's Big Leap

In early 2017, Owen left his job to focus on JANDO full time. After months of second guessing and late night “what ifs,” the decision felt natural when the time came. A few weeks later we exhibited at Showcase in the RDS and won a ‘Best Product Award’. The first few months were an adjustment, finding structure, working solo and learning to trust the process, but with Julie’s support we found our rhythm.

That year gave us the space to refine what JANDO is. We refreshed our branding, continued to expand the product range and created prints we were proud of. It was a massive leap into the unknown, but it marked the beginning of JANDO as we know it today.

In September we were crowned 'Overall Winners' of the Irish Made Awards by readers of the Irish Country Magazine.

Full Steam Ahead

2018 was a year of graft. With Owen working full time on JANDO, we poured everything into growing the business, expanding online, building supplier relationships and continuing to grow our community.

A big milestone was moving into our first studio in The Chocolate Factory. It gave us space to create, pack and store our work, and the energy of being surrounded by other creatives and small businesses was inspiring.

In April we launched a pop-up shop in Kilkenny Design in Dublin and later exhibited in Washington DC before returning to New York for NY NOW in August, where we were nominated for a Best New Product Award. Bringing our work back to New York felt like a full circle moment, the place where JANDO was born. It was a real boost during such a busy year.

Room for Growth

In 2019 we were on the move again. We moved into a new studio in The Chocolate Factory, just next door, but the difference was huge. The new space had big windows, plenty of natural light and gave us room to grow, while we kept the old studio for storage.

That summer we had the privilege of creating a commissioned piece for Trinity College Dublin and also held our own ten-week exhibition in the Kilkenny Design Shop on Nassau Street, right in the heart of the city. The exhibition included an extensive window display which we designed, and during the run we hosted in-store screen printing demonstrations for customers.

To top it all off, Julie was shortlisted for an Image Businesswoman of the Year award, an incredible recognition for the woman who lives and breathes JANDO.

Love Where You Live

The Covid-19 pandemic threw everything up in the air, as it did for everyone, but walking the empty streets of Dublin made us appreciate everything around us a little more. After a week of uncertainty we knuckled down and got back to work.

We launched the Love Where You Live campaign as a way of keeping people connected during lockdown and offering a little light and hope during a very dark time for so many. We were blown away by the support from our customers, who helped keep the JANDO show on the road.

Julie left her job to join JANDO full time and in November we launched a Pop-Up shop in Arnotts.

Longest Day

We partnered with Dublin Simon to help raise vital funds for the homeless charity through their inaugural Longest Day campaign. The campaign invited the public and business community to take a sponsored dip in the sea on June 21st, anytime from dawn to dusk.

We created a new series of prints for the campaign, with all profits going directly to Dublin Simon. We also commissioned a complementary suite of stills and videos for use across social media, print and outdoor advertising.

The campaign energised the Irish public to get involved, with results exceeding expectations and donations increasing twentyfold compared to previous years.

Movin' On Up

By 2022, we had outgrown our two small units and needed something bigger. When a large studio space became available in the Chocolate Factory, we spent over a year imagining ourselves there before finally deciding to go for it.

Following months of planning, designing, procrastinating and debating, we opened the doors to our new 3,500 sq ft studio and showroom.

Our New Home

Our new studio quickly became more than just a workspace. With Julie’s event management expertise, we opened our doors and began working with businesses and brands from Ireland and all over the world, coordinating and hosting their events in our space.

From intimate weddings and stylish photoshoots to exclusive dinners and creative workshops, our place became a vibrant hub for a wide range of events. This growth allowed us to make new connections and bring our community together in other meaningful and memorable ways.

We collaborated with Jameson on a new series of riso prints and were commissioned by Notre Dame to create a limited edition for the Aer Lingus College Football Classic being played in the Aviva Stadium.

A Sustainability Milestone

In 2024 we were thrilled to achieve B Corp certification, becoming the first artists and printmaking studio in Ireland to join the global B Corp community.

Sustainability has been at the core of JANDO from the beginning, and working towards certification gave us the chance to refine our practices and embed responsible choices into every single part of our business.

B Corp is one of the most credible and rigorous audits a business can undertake, and certification recognises our commitment to the highest social and environmental standards, as well as our positive impact on our community, customers and employees.

Celebrating 10 Years

We are celebrating 10 years in business! In March, we won the Dublin City Enterprise Award and then went on to launch our biggest ever print collection. Our "Everything Is Better In…" print series is a celebration of Irish county pride and community, and features 64 prints in both Irish and English languages. 

In August, we began hosting screen printing workshops in our studio, something we had wanted to do for years. Sharing the art of screen printing with our community has quickly become one of the most rewarding parts of our work.

It’s been a big year so far, and we’re excited for what’s still to come as we celebrate 10 years of JANDO.