PinHead founder Amy Collins came in to the Studio last week to talk to our year 12 and 13 students about starting and growing her business. Amy shot to fame with her enamel pin badges as celebrities including Simon Cowell, Jurgen Klopp and Breaking Bad’s Danny Trejo started to wear them, and she’s made a series of eye-catching pins for Liverpool businesses including Matta’s, Maray, Mowgli, Bongo’s Bingo, Filter & Fox and Ghetto Golf.
Amy talked openly about her highs and lows along the way, and talked to students about the different stages she’s been through to get her business off the ground. She shared details of the software and systems she uses, the creative elements of her designs and how she uses data analytics on Etsy (where she sells her pins), Instagram and Google to market her business and products.
Alongside her pin range, last year saw Amy start a collaboration with Liverpool Box, putting together gift boxes filled with collections from local artists and the opportunity to design some new Liverpool (and Everton) pins.
Jill Davies, prinicipal at The Studio, said: ‘It was great to have Amy in to talk to our students. Not only are her designs instantly-recognisable across Liverpool, but her work combines our three KS5 pathways – entrepreneurship, digital and creative. It’s vital that Studio students can learn from young people who’re role models and running the sort of businesses they aspire to – and also show them new ideas and innovation they might not have thought of otherwise.’
Have a look at www.pinheaduk.com to see more of Amy’s work, or follow her on Instagram here…