And no, it's not a stuffed kangaroo.
Sydney has a funny way of staying with you.
Perhaps it's the first glimpse of the Harbour Bridge. The ferries gliding across impossibly blue water. The sandstone streets of The Rocks, where history meets coffee shops, galleries and people from just about everywhere.
Or perhaps it's the cockatoo who tried to steal your lunch.
Everyone takes home a different memory of Sydney.
And I think that's exactly how it should be.
A city worth wearing
As a designer, I've always been fascinated by the things that make a place unmistakably itself.
Sydney has no shortage of them.
The architecture. The harbour. The beaches. The colours. The wildlife with rather questionable manners.
But I've never understood why those things should only appear on souvenirs.
Why shouldn't a Sydney T-shirt be something you'd happily wear in Paris?
Why couldn't a cockatoo be fashionable?
And why does a souvenir have to announce, quite so loudly, that you've been somewhere?
I prefer something a little more interesting.
A little piece of Sydney, seen differently
In my Bundeena studio, I take the things I love about Australian life and reinterpret them through illustration, colour and design.
Sometimes it's a drawing of Sydney Harbour.
Sometimes it's a cheeky Australian animal.
Sometimes it's simply a colour or a feeling that reminds me of a particular summer afternoon.
I want these pieces to feel Australian without looking like they belong exclusively in an airport gift shop.
Something you choose because you genuinely love the design.
The fact that it reminds you of Sydney is a lovely bonus.
From The Rocks to wherever life takes you
Our shop in The Rocks is a meeting place for people from all over the world.
Some visitors have been planning their trip for years. Others have wandered in after a ferry ride or a long lunch.
I love watching people discover our designs.
A Sydney illustration might remind someone of their first morning by the harbour. A little koala might be destined for a grandchild thousands of kilometres away. A piece of jewellery might become a quiet reminder of a wonderful holiday.
These are the things I love about designing.
An idea that begins in my studio can travel much further than I ever imagined.
So, what should you take home?
Something that makes you smile.
Something you'll actually wear, use or treasure.
Something that captures a little of the city, without needing to explain itself.
Because the best things we bring home from our travels aren't always the ones that say where we've been.
They're the ones that remind us how it felt to be there.
And if it happens to feature a cockatoo with an attitude problem?
Even better.
From Sydney, with love.
DK+L Originals — Born of Sun & Sea.
Explore our original Sydney-inspired designs online or visit us at 115 George Street, The Rocks, just a short walk from Circular Quay.