FOLKUS
gift wrapping for the culture
Photo: FOLKUS
Founder and CEO Tamecca Seril created FOLKUS out of a need to diversify the Black aesthetic in design and to offer rich storylines for each of her gift wrapping products. COVID-19 and the summer of Black Lives Matter put her launch into overdrive, as she responded to the need for Black people to celebrate, cope, and connect.
We connected with Seril to learn more about her growing brand.
On how the brand got its start:
“I amassed a great deal of cherished ephemera – cards, notes, ribbons, gift wrap, and fabric swatches. From time–to-time, the collection inspired, lifted, and reconnected me with fond memories. I very much wanted a way to express my love for BLACKNESS and for the people in life. FOLKUS allows me to create an evolving, abstract love letter and piece of art. FOLKUS is a gift of vulnerability for me. It forces me to stop repressing and instead express my immensely sentimental attachment to people, places, and experiences of life.”
Photo: FOLKUS
On how FOLKUS is doing things differently:
“For starters FOLKUS is relevant to the past, present, and future of the Black experience and aesthetic – which makes the brand persistent across cultures, time, and place. Through our products, FOLKUS seeks to offer both utility and a platform for art, storytelling, history, dynamism, activism, and the preservation of BLACK beauty, joy, and triumph. In the gift wrap category, FOLKUS leads with intention and innovation. FOLKUS utilizes stone paper instead of wood-pulp paper when possible, our designs are season less, and double-sided pairing is standard on all paper.”
On inspiration for each design:
“Black Folk and the things Black Folk cherish inspire FOLKUS designs. Some of the designs are a tribute to the people I love. Part of the design process also includes naming and pairing designs. Our top designs are: Khadijah-Zakiyah, Chad, and Anansi-Maasai.”
Photo: FOLKUS
On what’s in store for the future:
“FOLKUS will do more surface designs, starting with stationary goods. FOLKUS will also actively enlist and engage customers for feedback. We want our customers to prioritize the development of future product categories including apparel, home décor, and art. We hope to take our customers and followers on a curiosity journey, down a rabbit hole of self-discovery and wonderment.”
Follow FOLKUS on Instagram for more.