Our Story
Where It Started
Kachina started in 2017, after a holiday in Cornwall and a notebook full of doodles. I’d been sketching for fun, but started wondering what some of those designs might look like on a T-shirt.
The name came from my interest in Kachinas and their connection with nature. It felt different, colourful and relatively unknown in the UK. The original Kachina logo was a simple tipi before eventually evolving into the wave logo we use today.
At the time, I knew very little about making clothes. I had to teach myself everything from fabrics and garment fits to graphic design and printing. I even tried screen printing at home, with a setup that was probably more frustrating than productive.
Finding Our Style
I loved the surf brands I had grown up with — Quiksilver, Billabong, Mambo, Animal and others — but I felt that something had changed. The colourful, playful graphics of the 90s had started to disappear, replaced by something a little more polished and muted.
I wanted to bring some of that feeling back. Hand-drawn artwork, marker pens, bold colours and graphics that didn't take themselves too seriously.
The early designs weren't always what I had in my head. I was still learning, but the more I designed, the more I found my eye. The artwork became bolder, the colours got brighter and Kachina slowly started to find its own style.
Moving into DTG printing opened up another world. Suddenly I wasn't limited to a handful of colours and could really experiment with the artwork.
From the Workshop to the Road
Then came the first workshop, the first proper printing setup and the first shows and events. What started as a creative project slowly became something much bigger.
Being based in Suffolk is a big part of Kachina, but so are the trips away. The Suffolk coastline and countryside are right on our doorstep, while Cornwall and places like Newquay have always been a big part of the inspiration.
Now, you'll often find us at festivals with music playing and a setup that feels more like a little surf shop than a traditional clothing stand.
What's Next
There's plenty more to come, more collections to build and more ideas to bring to life.
You'll find us at more festivals and events around the UK, as well as in more independent stores where we can introduce Kachina to new people.
The aim is simple: keep making awesome clothing, keep having fun and keep growing the Kachina community along the way.